She who is He
by PhoenixW4Me
Summary: It was supposed to be a normal raid on human traffickers. But now, Suzaku finds himself in an unusual situation with a familiar person. Rated for safety. Spoiler alert for Code Geass end. 1st Code Geass story.
1. Chapter 1

**Phoenix: Okay! Well...this is something new that I've wanted to do since a few things happened in Code Geass. But I never watched season 2...Don't kill me! So there will be some things different but just tell me and I'll try to come up with an explanation as to why its happening like this in my story. Please review!**

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><p>The night was cool. The full moon hanging overhead kept it from being dark, as did the streetlights of the city. A light blanket of snow was starting to collect on the city. Hardly anyone was on the streets now, aside from a few stragglers here and there. Not one of them suspected they were being watched by one Suzaku Kururugi in a black and indigo-colored mask and a long black coat wrapped around his body from a rooftop a few stories up. Behind him were a dozen people clad in all black wearing black masks -the Black Knights- all squatting around a rooftop window painted black. One pane rested on the ground by one of the people and they were all glancing into the inside of the building, which was bright and alive with movement, despite the late hour.<p>

The masked man turned to the Knights and walked over to them.

"Does everyone understand what we're doing?" he asked. The group nodded at him and he pulled a gun from his belt under his coat. He pointed the barrel at the window. "Then lets move," he said before firing a shot, shattering the window. Almost instantly, the group leapt down into the warehouse.

On the floor below them, dozens of men started firing up at them. Each member drew a gun and began to return fire. Suzaku took aim at a grey box on the wall and fired. The bullet hit and sparks flew, sending the warehouse into pitch blackness. Bullets turned red as they screamed through the air. Suzaku's mask turned to infrared vision and he easily found his targets.

As he landed and took cover, he scanned the rest of the warehouse. Several large clusters of hot colors were stacked on top of one another in a truck and a few more were scattered around the vehicle. His teeth clenched as he knew what was in those boxes.

Within minutes, the men firing at the group were hog-tied and sitting away from the crates and being watched by a couple of the Black Knights. Suzaku picked up a layaway crowbar and opened the crate closest to him. A flashlight came on behind him and his mask turned back to normal vision. Inside the box were men and women ranging from ages 8 to 17 and they all wore orange collars on their necks, meant to electrocute them if they made a noise. They were all covered in bruises and blood. The only thing he knew they had in common, was that they were Britanians born on Japanese soil.

Slowly, the other crates were unloaded from the truck and the people inside were set free. Suzaku watched as a few of the Knights began working at the collars, trying to remove them without hurting the people.

"Zero! You may want to come see this!" called one of his men. Suzaku walked over and looked into the crate he stood over. Inside was a teenager with short black hair, dressed solely in an oversized black t-shirt. Pale, thin limbs were marred with bootprint and hand-shaped bruises. Whoever this person was, they made certain to keep their face hidden.

Suzaku stepped into the crate and knelt next to the person. He placed a hand on their shoulder and they flinched under his touch before turning their head towards him a little bit. Black hair shifted, showing finger-shaped bruises under the collar.

"Its alright now. Those people won't hurt you anymore, I promise." The teen started trembling and moved a little closer to him. "Can you get up?" They shrugged. He placed his other hand on the other shoulder and felt the teen stiffen. He looked up at his men watching him. "Go help the others. I can handle this one." The man nodded and left his flashlight on the crate floor before walking away. Suzaku gently pulled on the teen's shoulder until they sat up, head still bowed. A few cuts and bruises could be seen on the cheeks and blood was caked around the nose.

He slowly moved to wipe at what he could. The teen shoved him away and met his eyes for the first time. Suzaku stopped breathing. He gripped the thin arms and pulled the teen against him forcing them to continue looking in his eyes. Bright violet irises stared back at him, the same irises that had closed not too long ago and were never supposed to open again.

"Lelouch?" The teen looked confused. "Do you know who I am?" His head shook, sending tangled, messy black hair in every direction. _"If he doesn't regognise me as Zero...then...does could that mean he doesn't remember his Geass?" _Suzaku covered Lelouch's face with his coat and scooped the teen into his arms.

"Sir?" asked one of the female Black Knights.

"This one needs medical attention. I'll see to it that they get it. The rest of you, remove the collars from the victims then take everyone to the police station." The Knights all nodded. "Good work tonight."

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><p>Suzaku carefully set Lelouch on the balcony outside his apartment as a fresh layer of snow began to fall. Lelouch's toes curled together as he started rubbing his hands together.<p>

"The person who lives here is a friend. He'll help you alright?" Lelouch nodded and Suzaku leapt off the balcony, jumping from rail to rail until he reached the roof. He grabbed a black duffel bag off the roof of a shack that protected the stairs from anything Mother Nature could concoct. He quickly pulled off his Zero costume, revealing the black t-shirt and jeans underneath, and stuffed the dark clothes inside the bag. _"He's alive..." _he thought to himself as he zipped up the bag and bolted down the stairs.

The phrase kept repeating itself in his mind over and over again until he reached his door. He started cursing under his breath when he couldn't get the key in. He slammed his shoulder into the door when it finally opened, dropped the bag and ran for the balcony.

"Lelouch?!" he said as he opened the door. The raven-haired teen turned and stiffened as Suzaku threw his arms around his old friend. He pulled back, holding the boy by the shoulders. "Remember me?" The violet eyes narrowed a little as if confused and trying to recall something. "Suzaku. Remember? We were kids together?"

"Su-" Lelouch's collar flared to life, sending a shock down his neck that had him bite back a groan of pain and grip the device as he grimaced. Suzaku pulled the boy along with him inside and sat him down on the couch.

"I'll try to find you something to eat and a screwdriver or something so we can get that off. Have you eaten anything in the last three days?" Lelouch shook his head. "Week?" Another shake. "How many weeks?" Lelouch started counting on his fingers but by the time the boy had gone over the same hand three times, he stopped him. "I'll just make you something light, alright?"

With that, the Japanese went into the kitchen and Lelouch could hear some things be moved around.

"I really hope I have a screwdriver! I'd hate to try using a knife to take that thing apart. And I'm fairly sure you'd hate me for it," Suzaku joked. Lelouch looked around the room and his eye caught on a picture on the shelf. He got up and walked over to it and picked it up. He started at himself wearing a black cat costume with the rest of the student council.

That was how Suzaku found him a few minutes later when he walked into the room with a plate of toast and a screwdriver in hand.

"Remember when that was taken?" Lelouch snapped around, dropping the frame in surprise. He yelped when the glass shattered on the carpeted floor and ignoring the shock from the collar, bent down to clean up the glass. Suzaku put down what he was carrying and grabbed Lelouch's wrist before he could touch the glass. "Its alright, I'll clean it up later. Right now, let's just get this off you, okay?" Lelouch nodded and let Suzaku sit him down on the couch again. The Japanese boy handed the toast to the Britannian and began working on disassembling the collar as the other nibbled on the food.

The better part of an hour was taken up by the task until Suzaku finally was able to pull the collar off Lelouch's neck. The teen rubbed at the chaffed raw skin. Suzaku felt his blood begin to boil at the vivid purple bruising in the shape of someone's hand on Lelouch's throat. And there wasn't just one, but many handprints; left-handed, right-handed, thick, thin, all were fresh.

"Who did that to you?" he asked. Lelouch cast a sad glance at Suzaku before looking down at his fingers and starting to pick at dead skin. "You know, you may be able to get away with not speaking to me, but when Nunally finds out you're alive, she's going to want answers." Lelouch looked at Suzaku again.

"Who's Nunally?" he asked with a raspy voice. The teen stood up and pulled on the back of his shirt until it was skin tight. Where a flat chest should have been was a pair of well-developed breasts. "And Lelouch sounds like a boy's name. I'm a girl," she said plainly.

Suzaku wanted to slap himself. The girl released her shirt and sat down on the floor in front of him.

"Are you disappointed that I'm not Lelouch?" she asked. Suzaku shook his head quickly, both to answer the girl and drive away his shock so he could properly deal with the situation.

"Its kind of my fault really. I jumped to conclusions and anyway..."

"This Lelouch person is dead, correct?" she asked. "I overheard the traders mention it. One of them caught me eavesdropping and they started beating me, calling me Lelouch. One said I looked like a girl and they've called me Leah Lou ever since," she explained.

"So Leah Lou, isn't your real name?" She shrugged.

"It could be. I don't remember anything before they grabbed me a year ago. But I like being called Leah." Suzaku nodded.

"Well Leah, looks like you'll be staying with me for a bit." Leah looked up at him, surprised. "I work with the police so just think of it as protective custody, alright?" Leah smiled and nodded. "Alright. How about you wash up and then we go to bed, alright?" Leah nodded again and Suzaku helped her find the bathroom and start the shower. "Yell if you need any help," he said as he shut the door.

"Okay!"

He sighed as he sat down on the couch and pulled a cell phone from his pocket.

"I'm going to need a little help with this one," he said as he pressed a few buttons then held the receiver to his ear.

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><p>Leah hummed to herself as she hung a towel around her neck and pulled the edges of her over-sized shirt down. Her hair was soaking wet but looked and smelled clean and fresh. Her bruises stood out as bad as ever against her clean, pale skin but there was no sign of blood on her body. She used the towel to chase after a few stray water droplets as they raced from her hair onto her face.<p>

She stepped into the living room and took a seat on the floor by Suzaku's feet. The news was on.

"And here we can see Tokyo's finest have done it yet again. Reports say that they have arrested anywhere between five to twenty men responsible for the recent disappearances of?-" Suzaku turned off the television and turned to Leah. He took hold of a lock of her hair.

"You'll catch a cold walking around like that," he said simply as he pulled the towel over her head again and took a seat behind her.

"Really?" she asked as he started rubbing her hair dry.

"That's what I was told," he said. After that, the two were silent.

"Those policemen didn't arrest those people..." she said quietly, catching Suzaku's attention. "Zero did," she finished.

"Well, not in the eyes of the law. He may have found them but its the testimony of the witnesses that has those people behind bars now. Understand?" he said. Leah nodded as Suzaku pulled the towel off and stood up. "I should have a comb you can use to brush your hair out. Just a moment."

He came back after a few minutes and started combing through her hair. Leah winced a few times but otherwise, it was a rather painless experience. Her hair was a little longer than Lelouch's but it didn't do much to change the fact that she did bear an uncannily similar resemblance to him.

Leah glanced up at him and took note of the sad, far-off look in his emerald-colored eyes.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Suzaku nodded.

"Yea just...its getting late and we need to get to bed," he said dismissively. He helped her stand up and lead her to his room. As she snuggled under the covers, he dug around in his closet and pulled out a plastic-wrapped rectangle.

"What's that?" Leah asked as he set it on the edge of the bed.

"They were going to be a present for a friend on her birthday but she passed away not too long ago."

"I'm sorry," Leah said. Suzaku pushed her bangs from her eyes.

"Its not your fault. And if you need anything tonight, just call and I'll come, alright?" Leah nodded and Suzaku left. "Good night Leah," he said as he shut the door. He made his way back to the couch and lay out on the cushions, staring up at the ceiling. "One way or another, I have to tell Nunally what I found. And then there's the whole matter of just who Leah really is. And then there's..." he droned on until he fell asleep of all the things Leah would need.

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><p>Leah tossed and turned in the bed, gripping the sheets and pillowcase as her teeth grit and she groaned again, muscles tensing from the images behind her closed eyelids. Soundless words made their way past her lips as she began to shake her head back and forth.<p>

"No...no...NO!" she screamed as she sat up in bed. She slapped her hands over her eyes and started to calm down her breathing. One hand slipped down and the eye opened, a red glow reflected off the girl's pale skin, turning her face the same color. The Geass symbolic bird flapped its wings once over her face before her eyes shut and she collapsed back into a restless, dreamless slumber.

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><p><strong>Phoenix:...Um...Am I allowed to be frightened of myself right now? Because I kind of am. <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Phoenix: Alright! Sounds to me that people like this story and so far, everything's working as it should. So enjoy!**

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><p>Suzaku snored on as Leah flicked the lights on. She stood over him, phone against her collarbone and newspaper in her other hand. She was dressed in a pair of faded denim tight jeans, a white blouse and a gold vest hanging loosely on her shoulders. She glared down at the teen, silver sparks flashing in her eyes.<p>

"Wake up please," she said, a little loudly. The Japanese boy snored on. She smacked him with the newspaper. "Su-za-ku!" she said, emphasizing each syllable with a repeated smack. Finally the teen began to wake up. She set her hand on her hip. "About time."

"Whoa!" he yelled, backing up against the opposite arm of the sofa. "Oh…S-sorry Leah I just-"

"You just woke up, I arrived late last night and I resemble a dead friend of yours. I get it," she said, glare dying down somewhat. She extended the phone to him. "Someone on the line says they're your boss and they need to talk to you." Suzaku nodded and took the phone. "I made coffee. Want some?"

"Straight black please," he said as he put the receiver to his ear. "Hello?"

Leah came back to a troubled-looking Suzaku a few minutes later and handed him the coffee. He was nodding and affirming whatever his boss was saying, adding a word or two in between sips as Leah sat next to him.

After a few minutes, he hung up and sighed.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Just some work I have to attend to today," he said before he finished his coffee.

"So you're going out today?"

"Yep."

"Can I come with you?" she asked eagerly.

"Sorry but no. Its some boring meetings, some tests on the Knightmare I pilot and then I have to escort those men from the news last night to court. And some of my friends are coming up to take you shopping for clothes and anything else you'll need."

"But I have nothing to pay with," she objected as she and Suzaku went to the kitchen.

"Think of it as a birthday present," he suggested.

"But I don't know when my birthday is," she pressed.

"Well then, until you get your memories back, we'll just say today's your birthday. I'll even see what I can do about getting a cake to celebrate tonight, alright?" Leah nodded as Suzaku rinsed out his cup and left to get changed. Leah sat down on the couch and looked over at the glassy mess she'd made the night before with a sigh.

Suzaku came back a few moments later, changed into his rusty-colored uniform and attempting to properly tie his tie. Leah cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Its uniform," he explained. She nodded as he pulled his hands away from the slightly crooked knot. "Three years of doing this, you'd think I should know-" Leah got up and straightened the knot.

"Harder to do it on your own when you've just woken up," she said pointedly. "I'd comb my hair if I were you. You know, trying not to look like you slept in the couch and all. And speaking of that, until you can get a guest room or I find other accommodations, I will not be kicking you out of your room. If it really matters that much to you that I sleep on a bed, we can alternate which means, you get the bed tonight and I'll get the couch." Her tone left no room for argument so Suzaku nodded as he grabbed his Lancelot key, his I.D. card and his wallet and headed for the door.

"Oh. My friends' names are Kallen and Millay. They'll knock and my spare key is on my dresser in my room so you'll want to take that. And ask for the safe word, its Lancelot. If there's any other word, just tell the people you're calling the police, alright?" Leah nodded. "Otherwise, do not leave this apartment unless its an emergency, understood?" Leah nodded.

"Have a good day and be safe!" she called as he shut the door. She sat down on the couch and sighed to herself as she turned on the television and started channel surfing.

It wasn't ten minutes later that a sharp knock came from the door. Leah turned off the TV and waited, staring at the object.

"Hello? Is anyone in there?" a girl asked from the other side. Leah darted back to Suzaku's room and grabbed the key, tucking it into her pocket as she went back to the door.

"We're Millay and Kallen here for Leah?" called another girl. "Will you respond to Lancelot?" Leah cautiously opened the door, catching the flickers of surprise as they flashed over the faces of the blonde and red-headed girl who'd come to collect her. The blonde smiled. "You're Leah right?" Leah nodded. "I'm Millay Ashford and this is Kallen Kozuki."

"Nice to meet the both of you," Leah said as she stepped out of the apartment. Millay handed her a bag and Leah looked in at a pair of black boots and socks, a coat and scarf. Unconsciously, she touched the bruises on her throat. "Thank you Millay," she whispered as she started putting the items on. She knew both girls had seen the bruises but she was very thankful that they didn't ask about them.

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><p>Millay sat the three of them down in a booth at the mall food court. Each girl was carrying six or seven bags each so it was no wonder they were exhausted.<p>

"So," Kallen started. "We've gotten shoes, socks, shirts, sweaters, pants, dresses, gloves, jackets, a coat, some hats, and toiletries...anything else Millay?" Millay pulled a list from the sky-blue jacket she was wearing and looked it over.

"Next is lunch!" The three giggled a bit as Millay returned to the slip of paper. "Then there's getting the party decorations and getting Rivalz over to Suzaku's and then getting the food for Leah's party."

"Listen, I really appreciate what you two are doing but I don't want to be a bother," Leah said softly. Millay threw her arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Oh come off it Leah. You're a friend of Suzaku's and he's our friend and as the saying goes, 'The friends of my friends are all friends.' So this is what we always do for a friend in need," she said.

"If you insist," the ravenette sighed as she got up. "I have to go to the restroom, I'll be right back."

"And I'll go get us some lunch," Kallen said as she walked off to wait in line. Millay reclined on the bench and released a long sigh before glancing to the side. Just behind the corner of a shop were three boys in black jackets and torn jeans glaring in her general direction. Her eyes narrowed.

_"Those three...didn't I see them just after we left the first shop?" _she wondered. Her hand went to her pocket and pulled out her phone, tapping parts of the screen as if she were texting. She watched the clock on top of the screen until a few minutes had passed and looked back. The boys were gone. She shrugged and turned towards the bathroom. There was no line. _"does Leah need help with anything?" _

"Millay, don't tell me Leah's still in the bathroom," Kallen said as she walked over with a tray of food. Millay looked back at the door and sighed.

"I'll go check on her. You stay with our stuff, alright?" Kallen nodded as Millay stood and walked towards the restroom. She froze just outside the door and bent down to pick up a tiny golden key and the scarf she'd given Leah just that morning. "Leah?!" she called, scanning the crowd before dashing over to Kallen.

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><p>Suzaku sighed to himself as he checked the time again and his stomach growled. It was only a little past one so if the court hurried and he did too, he could stop somewhere, get a quick lunch, a cake for Leah and be home before her and the girls. His radio beeped and he pressed the button to respond.<p>

"Yes?"

"Suzaku, return to base immediately," Llyod said in his usual bored tone.

"But I thought I was to transport the prisoner to prison once the jury passed their vote," Suzaku said a little hesitantly.

"Well, we've got orders from the Empress herself saying you have to get home. Gino's coming to relieve you."

"Why?"

"Suzaku, listen carefully but try not to react too much." Llyod's assistant, Cécile, took over the line. Suzaku tensed a little. He knew that when she used that tone, something had happened and like any mother-figure, she didn't want him hurting himself when he heard the news. "The Empress said she received a call from Miss Millay Ashford. Your friend Leah's gone missing."

"What?!" he roared as he started the engines.

"Apparently its was done by a few members of an Anti-Britannian gang. These people live only in the buildings that make up old Japan, are against any Britannians being on Japanese soil and as such, are believed to be responsible for the human traffickers you were watching. We managed to find the approximate area where they may be hiding but its still rather wide. But your orders are to return to base and then go home in case this is an attack against you."

"Forget going home. Tell me where the location is. The Lancelot can help narrow the search and I promised Leah these people weren't going to hurt her anymore, that she was under my protection. If I don't at least make an effort to find her, how can I honestly tell her that again?!"

"Suzaku..."

"Miss Cécile, I know you worry about me, but please, Leah is my responsibility. I can't and won't let her down. Now please, tell me where you think she is." A sigh came through the radio.

"He's a stubborn one alright," Llyod said.

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><p>Leah whimpered a little as she felt a rope be tied around her wrists behind a chair. She looked to each side, only seeing the inside of a burlap bag.<p>

"Please, what do you want? I don't have anything, I swear," she pleaded, voice cracking as tears started slipping down her face.

"Eh, shut up!" someone yelled before something hit the side of her face, hard enough to nearly send her tilting back in her chair. A few voices started laughing at her before the bag was yanked off her head and someone's fist connected with her cheek, sending her and her chair onto the floor.

"Tell me, Britannian, how's it feel to have the boot on the other foot?" someone asked before a foot connected with her stomach, sending all the air in her system right out and she vomited what little she'd had that morning for breakfast. She held her head up, trying to keep her face out of the bile.

"Please, I don't know what you're talking about! I don't even know if I _am _Britannian! I don't know who I am! Please let me go!" Someone stuffed a rag in her mouth.

"We said, shut up!" Leah continued to sob, unable to stop herself from shaking. "Have you any idea what your kind has put us through?" Leah shook her head, tongue moving to try pushing the rag out of her mouth. "Thousands of our brothers bleed in the streets trying to keep your filthy nation away from our borders!" Leah spat out the rag.

"That has nothing to do with me! Its not my fault Britannia came here! You wanna blame someone, blame the person who sent the troops here to invade in the first place!" Someone else landed another kick to her diaphragm and she vomited again.

"Keep your mouth shut Britannian dog!" someone screamed before more kicks and punches landed on her. She started crying out, screaming and kicking and struggling to get away as the men attacked her.

"Stop it!" she screamed as her hands slipped from their ropes and her arms covered her head. "I said stop!" She curled into a ball. These were hardly any different than the beatings she'd get from her traffickers but there were more this time and they were solely focused on her. "Knock it off!" she screamed before one well-placed kick made her body go limp. Her head smacked against the cold, unforgiving stone as grey began to appear at the edges of her vision. She glared at one large, stout man who was standing away from the group, watching them beat her as her senses began to fade away, leaving her staring with half-lidded eyes at the man while she herself fell into a blissful, senseless darkness. _"Suzaku...Millay...Kallen...someone help me please," _she mentally begged.

Her left eye glowed red, the Geass bird flapping once inside the iris as the reflection spread over the floor like blood.

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><p><strong>Phoenix: Am I evil? Well, evil or not, here's a couple of questions I want you all to answer if you leave a review, or at least answer a few of them. <strong>

**1) What did you like about his chapter? **

**2) What didn't you like about this chapter?**

**3) What do you think will happen next chapter?**

**4)Did I have any grammar or spelling errors that you saw? **

**Love you all and later!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Phoenix: Man! I love how popular this story is becoming. And just so you know, I have sequels planned. No idea how many but I know there will be at least two! So keep reading and please leave a review alright? Later!**

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><p>Leah's eyes snapped open as she became aware of the biting cold seeping into her skin, turning her fingers numb. She forced herself to sit up as she noticed the falling snow and that she was laying in a large, greyish-colored heap of the icy substance, which explained how her backside was soaking wet. She looked down at herself and grimaced. Her jeans were torn in random places and some cuts oozed blood. Her left boot was missing and the bottom half of her vest was torn to ribbons and her front was covered in blood, too much for it to be her own. She ran a hand through her hair and felt dried blood holding small locks together.<p>

She forced herself to stand up and her entire body protested the movements as her head pounded in retaliation. She massaged her temples as she moved to the back of her pants where she felt something hard digging into her back. She pulled out a gun and turned it over in her hands.

"Where did this come from?" she asked. "If those people dumped me here thinking I was dead, why leave me with a gun?" She looked around at the ruins of the area she was in. Rats ran rampant, vanishing into their warm havens inside giant piles of rubble from buildings and bridges long gone, or vanishing into massive cracks in the road that could easily swallow a man whole if his step wasn't cautious.

Leah backed away a little, grip tightening on the gun until the trigger was pulled and the noise that accompanied it echoed through the empty buildings and road that surrounded her. Her hands trembled for a second as she looked down at the tiny hole in the road at her feet, just inches from the tips of her toes. She pulled her finger from the trigger and held it away from herself.

The sound of engines whirring and coming towards her caused her to drop the weapon. Another shot was fired as it hit the ground. Leah instantly took off running towards the inner part of the city, away from the gun and the engines that brought a new sound with them as they came closer; gunshots.

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><p>She didn't know how long she ran or how far or fast, but she knew that the gunshots wouldn't stop no matter where she went and there was a lurking feeling in her stomach, telling her that she was close to something very important.<p>

_"Turn right at this corner," _she thought. Just as she neared it, hundreds of gunshots exploded, turning the building's corner into scrap. Leah backed up a few feet and became painfully aware of a sharp sting in her thigh. _"Crap." _

"Miss!" someone whispered. Leah turned and peeking out of a large hole in a wall meant to serve as a door, were two children -a boy and a girl- with black hair and big brown eyes. The girl waved her hand, calling Leah over. The ravenette limped over as quickly as she could and pushed the two children behind the wall as she sat down. She glanced at her thigh and was relieved to see it was only a flesh wound, probably caused by a bullet that grazed her. But it still felt like something wasn't quite right about her leg. "Miss?" Leah looked up at the girl who was looking at her cuts. Leah reached out and stroked the girl's soft black hair.

"I'm alright. Its just a flesh wound, it'll heal. Now then, why are you here? This isn't a place for children," she said softly. A sniffle caught her attention and she glanced to the side, catching sight of at least another dozen and a half more children cowering in the corner either shushing each other or silently crying.

"Our parents told us to stay here," the girl said. "I'm Sakura and this is my brother, Kai" Leah nodded.

"My name's Leah. But didn't your parents tell you to leave if it got too dangerous?"

"Father says those who retreat are cowards. No real Japanese is a coward," Kai said flatly, as if the idea had been drilled into his mind all his life and he was bored with hearing it. Leah looked over the children again. The youngest couldn't have been older than two or three years old, the oldest...probably around seven years old. Gunshots sounded again and a few of the girls started crying, only to be shushed into silence by the boys.

"Who are your fathers?" she asked as Sakura sat down next to her and started looking over the cuts. Her eyes widened at the circular, slightly puckered scars on the back of the girl's legs.

"Our fathers are part of the...Yuckieza?"

"Yakuza!" Kai corrected pointedly. Leah's eyes widened a little when Sakura started giggling.

"Right. They say they're going to take Britannia out of Japan and return it to the greatness it once was...or something like that," Sakura said.

"How-" Footsteps began to crunch against the rubble outside. The children cowered together even more. Leah stood up and moved her leg in front of Sakura and Kai. "stay behind me," she ordered. The two nodded as Kai moved his sister behind him.

A Britannian soldier appeared in the door, gun ready to shoot and he aimed at Leah and the children.

"Who are you?" he asked. Leah put her hands up as he aimed at her.

"My name is Leah sir. These two with me are Sakura and Kai. The others, I don't know." Leah said as she heard the muffled whispers of some of the boys.

"What did you all just say?!" the Britannian shouted, aiming at the children.

"Leave them alone!" Leah yelled as she moved in his way. Kai took a step forward and glared at the soldier.

"You'd aim that thing at defenseless kids?" he snarled.

"I'll aim at anyone who threatens the peace Empress Nunally has given so much for," he growled back, aiming right at Kai's chest.

"You really are a filthy Britannian, just like Father said."

"Kai," Sakura whimpered as she grabbed her brother's sleeve. He shoved her back.

"You're no better than those filthy Britannians who murdered my Mother, than those that invaded Japan, you filthy dog!" The soldier's finger went to his trigger.

"No!" Leah screamed as she leapt forward and grabbed the gun's end. Blood splattered on the floor, the girl and Kai as the soldier fell, bullet holes leaking copious amounts of crimson blood onto the floor. Some of the girls started crying again and even some of the younger boys joined them. "Are you all alright?" she asked, turning around to face them.

"Yes, we're fine," Kai said, a little breathlessly.

"Take his radio!" called another of the boys. Leah nodded.

"Any idea where it is?" she asked as she bent over the body.

"In his helmet or a walkie-talkie in his pocket," the child said. Leah pulled off the helmet and unclipped a small device from it. She set it against her ear and it stuck to her face.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" she asked as Sakura took hold of her jeans. Leah stroked the girl's hair, trying to be comforting as she moved the child away from the soldier. Static filled her ear and she waited.

_"Who is this?"_ someone asked.

"My name is Leah. Who is this?"

_"Knight of Three, Gino," _the person said again. "_Leah, are you aware this is a secure frequency for military use only?" _

"Well, now I am. But one of your soldiers just tried killing myself and about twenty innocent kids," she explained calmly, feeling Sakura put pressure on the large wound in the elder girl's leg.

_"Did he identify himself?" _

"No. But these kids need to be moved. Their fathers are members of the…Yakuza, I believe."

_"You found the Yakuza kids?" _

"Yes. What does that mean?"

_"Nothing. Just you found the kids of the men behind the riot in the middle of town. The Knights of Round are trying to keep it under control but…you know." _

"Is there a base of some kind I can take these kids to? They need to be safe."

_"Of course. Any idea where you are? I can ask for the directions if you know where you are," _Gino explained.

"I don't know my location. But maybe…" She looked at the kids. "Sakura, do you know where we are?" The girl nodded and Leah pulled off the communicator. "Can you tell this person?" Sakura nodded and quickly told him. Leah moved to put the communicator back on when Kai grabbed her wrist.

"Are you on the side of the Britannians or the Japanese?" he asked.

_"Hey kid, I'm on the side that keeps kids like you and your friends safe, okay? So whatever side that is, you'll see me on the front lines." _Kai released Leah's hand and she put the communicator back on.

"Do you know how far we are from the base?" she asked.

"_Good news: You're not too far. Just go outside and make a right at the corner of the building across the street, keep going about twenty buildings and then make a left. The base should be right ahead." _

"Thank you," Leah said as she turned to the children. "Each of you take the hand of one other person. No matter what happens, you do not let that person go. If you feel them fall, you call for me. Do not get separated from the group and if you do, just call for me. If anyone got left behind, I'll come find you. If there's gunfire and you've been separated, get inside and hide until I come get you. Understand?" The children all nodded and Leah moved to leave. Sakura tugged on her jeans. "What is it, Sakura?"

"Your leg?" Leah looked down. Her jeans were soaked with blood around her newest wound and the liquid was slowly soaking its way down her leg. She pulled off her vest and tied it around the wound tightly.

"I'll be fine. Once we get to the base we'll all be okay," she assured.

"But Sakura can't walk," Kai said. Leah looked and he was holding the hand of another little girl but looking sadly at his sister. Leah nodded.

"Thank you Kai," she said as she bent down and presented her back to Sakura. "Its pretty wet, but its only temporary, okay?" Sakura slowly crawled on and wrapped her arms around Leah's neck. The ravenette hooked her arms under the Japanese girl and stood up, her wounded leg shaking as she did so.

"Miss Leah?" she said tentatively. Leah grit her teeth and smiled at the girl.

"I'm alright. Remember, if you hear close gunshots, get inside at once." With that, Leah stepped out of the building and moved to the corner of the one that had been shot apart just earlier. She watched until every pair of children were collecting by her side before she peeked out the corner. The road was empty.

Immediately, Leah and the children began down the road. Leah would stop every now and then and take a quick headcount just to be sure. After the fifth house, her leg began to flare with pain again. She grit her teeth and continued on her way at the eighteenth house, Leah stopped again.

Gunshots were coming towards them.

"Inside now!" she ordered. The children obeyed and ducked back into the seventeenth building. She and Sakura ducked into the eighteenth. The girl started crying as the two ducked down under a window and more gunshots rang out.

"Miss Leah?" Sakura said. Leah stroked the girl's hair as she pulled her off her back and put her on the ground next to her.

"Its alright Sakura. It'll pass soon. I know its scary, but you're being such a good, brave girl, just keep being brave a little longer, okay?" Sakura nodded and wrapped her arms around Leah. The elder looked at the puckered scars again and bit on her lip.

The window above them exploded in a spray of glass. Sakura screamed.

"Filthy Britannian! Face us like a man and pay for your crimes against humanity!" someone yelled. Leah could hear footsteps going towards the seventeenth house.

"Leave them alone!" she screamed as she picked up Sakura and bolted forward, up a flight of wooden stairs and onto the second floor. The floor was bare and old, creaking precariously under the weight of the girls. Leah clutched Sakura against herself and sat down in the corner.

"Miss Leah…" Sakura whispered as she looked down at Leah's leg. Leah followed her gaze. Something was poking out of the bloodstained vest wrapped around her leg. Leah began to shake.

"Don't worry about it okay? Just keep quiet." Gunshots rang in the floor below and a few parts of the floor exploded into splinters. Sakura bit on her lip and clutched Leah tighter. She could hear someone yelling in the road and the children next door were starting to cry. Her head bowed.

"Miss Leah, I'm scared," Sakura said. Leah wrapped her arms tightly around the girl as she started sobbing. Another explosion of bullets and more of the floor fell away.

_"I failed. I've brought all these kids to their deaths…and me…I'll never know what happened to me or who I am…Do I have any family anywhere? Will they know I'm dead? Will they mourn?" _

Another explosion of bullets and another part of the floor vanished. The shooters were coming closer. The children next door cried louder and someone kept yelling at them. Leah's leg screamed in agony when Sakura bumped it. Leah bit her tongue to keep from making more noise. A tangy, metallic taste filled her mouth. Another explosion of bullets, and more floor fell away.

"Go up the stairs!" someone yelled. Leah rolled so Sakura was under her, ignoring the protests of her leg as she tucked the girl under her. If they were to die, Sakura didn't need to see her killers. She was too young for that. Leah straightened her leg out and stars swam in front of her vision, her hands began to shake.

_"If only I could have done this for all those kids…" _she thought as footsteps carefully made their way up the stairs. The edges of Leah's vision began to darken. "I'm sorry Sakura," she whispered. As she shifted, trying to keep from smothering the girl under her when she inevitably collapsed.

"Miss Leah?" Leah smiled at the girl.

"We're all going to be okay, alright? Just stay put." Leah's arm collapsed under her and her leg screamed in pain as whatever was in it was pushed back in. Leah bit back another scream as her vision began to fail, everything blurring in and out of existence.

She couldn't hold herself up anymore. Her limbs trembled as she finally let herself relax. Footsteps continued to make their way up the stairs, but the sound was slowly becoming less and less to Leah as she slipped into darkness one more time.

_"Suzaku…I'm sorry. I caused a lot of unnecessary trouble…" _Leah thought as an image of the teen leaving the house just that morning appeared behind her eyes.

"Leah!"

* * *

><p>Leah groaned as her eyes opened to the white sterile room. She could feel herself, or the room, moving. She looked around.<p>

A machine with a black screen and colored lines was beeping every now and then, the line turning jagged as it did. She was lying in a cot with white sheets pulled over herself. Her bloodied clothes were missing, replaced with a white hospital gown. She pulled the sheets off, revealing the white bandages wrapped tightly around her leg and a few smaller ones on her smaller cuts.

She kicked her legs over the edge of the cot and her head throbbed, warning her not to move too quickly. She caught sight of something on the table behind the cot. She reached over and picked up a piece of twisted metal, and turned it over in her hands.

"What's this?" she asked as the door opened and walked in.

"That's your first battle souvenir." Leah snapped around and caught sight of a blonde boy, probably around her age, with three small braids over his shoulder and bright blue eyes dressed in a white uniform with elaborate gold and black designs.

"Who're you?" she asked, moving back a little as he came closer.

"Gino, you talked with me on the communicator, remember?" Leah backed up again. "Oh uh…Lancelot?" Leah relaxed.

"You're friends with Suzaku?"

"He's my boss you could say," he said with a smirk.

"Where is he?"

"Up front, talking with the Empress about something or other. He'll come check on you when he can." Leah nodded. Gino eyed the piece in Leah's hand. "You walked around with _that _in your leg and carried a kid around to boot?" Leah shrugged.

"I guess I did," she muttered. Her eyes widened. "The kids! The others were in the building next door and-"

"They're fine. They're all fine," Gino assured, placing a hand on her shoulder. She sighed, relieved. "Not many people would've done what you did."

"Well what could I do? They were only little kids, they were scared, and they were alone save for each other. I couldn't just leave them. Just thinking about it doesn't feel right," she explained as Gino sat down beside her. Leah turned the shrapnel over in her hand again. "What should I do with this? Throw it away?"

"You kidding? It's a souvenir from your first battle. Keep it. Maybe it'll look good as a necklace," Gino said, quickly taking the piece and holding the end near Leah's neck as if trying to determine how long of a chain it would need. The girl giggled as she pushed him back, both unaware of the door hissing open and someone walking in again.

"Okay, okay! I'll keep it," she said, snatching the piece back.

"Gino, what are you doing?" The two turned to face the Knight of Zero as he walked into the room and up to Leah. "Are you feeling alright?" She nodded. "Good."

"Gino was just convincing me to turn my souvenir into a necklace," she explained. The Japanese boy cocked an eyebrow at the Britannian blonde, who started chuckling as he stood up.

"A sharp, deadly object hanging around someone's neck, good idea," he said sarcastically. Gino chuckled.

"Well, I did mean she dulls it down a bit or melt it down into something nice-looking but not hang it like it is now," he defended. Suzaku jabbed his head towards the door and Gino nodded. "Later Leah," he said with a smile and a wave before he left. Suzaku sat down next to Leah and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him.

"I'm glad you're alright. You really had us worried."

"I'm sorry…for being so much trouble and all," she said, fingernail tapping on her shrapnel piece.

"Its not your fault you got kidnapped and you're not any trouble. Those Yakuza are Japanese radicals. They want to eradicate any sign of Britannia in Japan and that includes the people. It just so happens that you look like…"

"Like Lelouch…I guess he was more than just your friend if Japanese radicals wanted me dead so badly."

"He was the 99th Britannian Emperor. He was also called the Demon Emperor," Suzaku explained. "He took the throne by force and used his Geass to manipulate others to do his bidding. When he died and I was found, people figured I had been under his control for all the things I did and they trusted me."

"I take it you…"

"Lelouch's Geass can force others to obey a single command of his. The command he gave me was to live. After the command is issued, I would forget what I did, but I detonated a bomb that killed over 35 million people because of that command." He looked down at the floor and bit his lip. Leah placed a hand on his shoulder and he looked at her.

She was smiling at him. A hardly noticeable thing but it was there. She opened her mouth to speak when Gino ran back in.

"You're going to want to see this," he said quickly before running back the way he came. Suzaku got up and Leah copied his movements, hissing quietly when she stepped on her wounded leg. The Japanese Knight turned and gently pushed her back onto the cot.

"I'm coming with you," she said.

"You can't walk on that leg, can you?" he asked.

"I'm coming with you," she said again, more authoritatively than before as she pushed herself to her feet, being mindful to avoid stepping on her wounded leg. "I will crawl if I must but I'm coming with you." Suzaku sighed lightly before slipping his arms under Leah's knees and behind her shoulders. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he lifted her up and walked out the door.

She felt a heat coming to her cheeks and jerked her head so her hair created a thick, black curtain between the two of them.

"Thanks," she said. Suzaku smiled a little as he came to the front of the truck driving them where Gino and a couple others were standing, staring at a screen on a control consul. A woman dressed in a rust-orange colored uniform with deep indigo hair turned and her eyes widened at the sight of Suzaku placing Leah in a chair.

"Suzaku…isn't that-"

"Her name's Leah Miss Cécile. She's living with me right now and wanted to see what was going on," Suzaku explained as he placed a hand on Leah's shoulder and the screen turned from static to an image of Zero standing before a Japanese flag. But where a sword was supposed to hang on his hip and a gun on the other side, he now had a long katana replacing the sword and a dagger replacing the gun.

Suzaku's eyes widened and his grip on Leah's shoulder tightened a little. The girl placed a hand on his and turned to the screen.

_"I am Zero!" _the figure yelled dramatically.

_"No you're not," _Suzaku thought to himself. His fist clenched. He knew he'd left the Zero costume back at home.

"_People of Japan, look around you. You who have been oppressed by the Britannians for nearly twenty years now, have won the shattered remains of my heart! Those who call themselves your allies have persecuted you, hunted you down like animals, and forced you to give up all you stand for, all for the accursed name of the United States of Japan to befall our great nation." _

"What is he talking about? We're not oppressing anyone, right Suzaku?" Gino said, turning to the fellow Knight.

"That's right. While it is true Nunally is Britannian by birth, she has done everything she can to return Japan to what it once was, even under the new name."

_"Which is why I have enlisted the help of the Yakuza to bring back the true Japan. No more Britannian soldiers or citizens on our soil, no more Britannian Empress ruling over our people, breaking our wills, no more Britannia! The time has finally come for Japan to rise again!" _

The video died and the screen filled with static. Leah gripped Suzaku's hand.

"This doesn't make sense. Zero would never join with the Yakuza…" she breathed.

"What makes you say that?" Gino asked.

"Because it was the Yakuza who Zero freed me from."

"You're certain it was the Yakuza?" Suzaku asked. Leah nodded.

"They had the same ideals. Those people and I were supposed to be bait for Zero but he got the jump on them," Leah explained before she started scratching at the bandages on her leg. Cécile noticed the action and stepped forward, placing her hand on Leah's and stopping the action.

"Come on dear. Lets go get you checked up on." Leah looked to Suzaku as he picked her up again. Her grip became a little tighter than before.

"You'll be fine. She just wants to make sure you're in good health, alright?" Suzaku said softly. Leah nodded as the three of them left the control room.

* * *

><p>Leah bit a little on her lip as Suzaku adjusted his grip on her so he could reach into his pocket to grab his key. The rest of the day had been relatively uneventful. Leah had been put through a physical and had some blood drawn while Suzaku filled out some reports and finished up the last of his work before he took her home. Aside from her injured leg, which would take at least a couple of days before it would let her walk again, Leah had been happy to report a clean bill of health.<p>

What aggravated her about the report wasn't how long it would take before she could walk again, but the fact the Suzaku insisted on carrying her up the stairs to their apartment.

She perked a little at the sound of something rattling inside the apartment.

"Did you hear that?" she asked. Suzaku paused in his movements for a moment as the sound of someone shushing someone else came through the door. He turned the knob and opened the door.

"We're back!" he called as he set Leah down on the couch. Millay and Kallen appeared from the kitchen almost instantly and came over to Leah quickly. Millay started hugging the girl instantly.

"Um…Millay…I kinda can't breathe," Leah choked out. Millay lessened her grip but refused to let go.

"What happened?" Kallen asked. "Are you okay?"

"I got kidnapped by the Yakuza…and its just about ten stitches. I should be healed up in a few days," she assured. Millay hugged a little tighter again.

"We're so sorry Leah. And you too Suzaku. We were supposed to look after her."

"Its alright," Suzaku assured. "It could've happened to anyone. I'm just glad we found her when we did." Leah smiled as Millay pulled away.

"So are we. After all, we spent all afternoon working on Leah's birthday dinner, we'd hate to have it go to waste," she said with a smile. Leah giggled a little.

"Hey! Can I get some help in here?" someone –a boy- called from the kitchen.

"Rivalz! Whatever you are doing can wait! Put it down and come meet Leah!" Millay called. Kallen chuckled and hugged Leah lightly.

"Millay and I will finish dinner. Suzaku, think you could set the table while Rivalz keeps Leah occupied?" Suzaku nodded and followed the girls into the kitchen as a blue-haired, brown-eyed boy came out of the room. He smiled at Leah.

"Hello. You're Rivalz I take it?" Rivalz nodded.

"So you play any games?" Leah shrugged as the boy reached behind the couch and pulled out a black bag. He pulled out a chessboard. "Want to learn?" Leah nodded quickly and Rivalz sat down next to her on the couch and set up the pieces.

Suzaku peeked in after a little while and smiled a little at Leah as she moved one of her knights into the position she wanted.

"Checkmate!" she said as she and Rivalz started laughing to each other.

"You think she'll be alright?" Millay asked as she stepped next to Suzaku and watched the two set up another game.

"Yea. I just have to keep her a little closer until I find her family."

"If she has any. And what if she doesn't?"

"Then I'll help her. Orphans need to stick together," he said with a shrug.

"She needs to be in school," Millay pointed out. Suzaku nodded.

"Only issue is where and how much does she know?"

"Leave that to me," Millay said with a smirk as she pulled out her cell phone. Dread settled in Suzaku's stomach like a stone.

_"I am so sorry Leah," _he thought.

* * *

><p>Suzaku sighed to himself as he shut the door behind Kallen and Rivalz. Leah had crashed on the couch half an hour before they left. Millay pulled Suzaku into the next room as so not to disturb the sleeping girl.<p>

"Its all set up," she said excitedly.

"What is?"

"Leah's entrance exam into Ashford Academy. My grandfather got it all set up. She's all set for Saturday."

"But we-"

"If she can't remember anything she'll be put under private lessons covered by Ashford Academy. Don't worry, she'll be sure to have a proper education," Millay assured.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Suzaku asked as Millay grabbed her coat and purse.

"Don't be such a worry-wart. Trust me, Leah's going to have the time of her life. Goodnight!" she called as she left. Suzaku sighed as he walked back to his room. He didn't see Leah's eyes open and the Geass bird flapped its wings once.

* * *

><p><strong>Phoenix: I'm willing to bet people saw all that coming…huh? Yea, not that big of a shocker, I get it. But please leave a review telling me your thoughts during the chapter. BTW, this is ten pages long! Ten! I'm kinda proud of myself right now. <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Phoenix: Oh my gosh! A review! Okay its from (Guest) namelessnameguy and they say, "Amazing. Its written so well. I love it." Thank you so much! I really appreciate your time for reading and reviewing and I hope to see you again in the future! Enjoy the show!**

* * *

><p>Leah stared at the tall buildings that made up Ashford Academy, somewhat bored. Students were running around the campus but some would stop and stare at her. She pulled on the high black collar of the Ashford jacket she'd borrowed from Suzaku. The matching pants had been rolled up a few times so they fit but other than the slight sag in the shirt due to the differences in size between her and the Japanese teen, the clothes fit perfectly.<p>

Millay was going on and on about different faculty members, various students, and the latest gossip on campus but Leah was hardly listening. Her fingers gripped and relaxed around the small collection of pencils she'd grabbed from the apartment and her other hand was tucked into her pocket, holding the handheld music player inside while purple headphones hung around her neck; one of the presents she'd gotten from Millay and Kallen.

Her violet eyes flicked towards several of the tiny cliques that had gathered near her, whispering at each other and some even outright pointing. She started fiddling with the cord of the headphones.

Millay noticed the action and sent a glare towards the groups. A few dispersed but some remained, matching the blonde's harsh look.

"Let's go inside, okay? Mrs. Ohgi will be administering your test today. Do you remember everything I gave you in the study guide?" Leah nodded, eyes still glancing warily at the students who sent her harsh stares, or whispered to the surrounding kids about her. "Alright. Now, if you forget anything or you just don't know something, just skip it. It won't hurt your grade. This is just to see how far your education has come and how much of it you remember. You never know, maybe taking a test will jog some memories," Millay said, excitedly.

Leah nodded again as Millay lead her into an empty room.

"You've got all day to take it and Mrs. Ohgi will explain a question to you if you need it, okay?" Leah nodded as she took a seat at the only chair with a small packet of papers, a calculator, protractor, pencils, plenty of scrap paper and a large eraser in front of it.

"Thanks for this Millay. I hope its not too much trouble," Leah said with a sigh. Millay smiled warmly.

"Like I said, you're with Suzaku and that makes you my friend. You're no trouble at all. If you finish early, have Mrs. Ohgi call for me and I'll take you on a campus tour and then maybe we can go shopping before school is over. Then you'll be back, ready to go with Suzaku to work and he'll be none-the-wiser to our little outing." Leah smiled as Millay left.

She was alone for only a few minutes before a silver-haired woman with golden eyes and tanned caramel skin walked into the room. She was dressed in a red shirt with gold lining on the collar and down the front and a black skirt that reached her knees. She also wore a pair of black flats and a hand was resting on her slightly-swollen stomach.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully as she crossed to the desk, rubbing the small of her back as she did.

"Morning," Leah replied as she started playing with a few buttons on the calculator.

"I trust Miss Ashford filled you in on the details of the test?"

"Helped me study too," Leah finished.

"Alright. Now, I just need your name and you can get started," Villetta said as she sat down.

"Leah Lamperounge." With that, Leah picked up her pencil and started to fill out the test. Villetta looked over at the student every now and then over the edge of her book. Her hand covered her pregnant stomach out of instinct.

She didn't want to feel the constriction of fear that was growing in her chest whenever the girl would almost meet her gaze. But the more rational part of her mind was scolding her. The girl bore a strong resemblance to Lelouch and Millay and Suzaku probably just gave her the last name alias the Demon Emperor had used out of nostalgia. He may have become a demon, but he'd been a human in the beginning and had been their friend. But none of that meant that she or her child were in any danger. And even if she were, one of the founding members of the Black Knights was only the push of a button and a hallway away.

Leah unbuttoned her collar a bit and the livid bruises became evident on her throat. Although they weren't nearly as bad as a few days prior, some were still a deep shade of violet.

After a small while longer, Leah closed the packet, reorganized her things, collected the packet and walked up to the desk.

"Finished Mrs. Ohgi," she said bored. Villetta took the test and pulled the key out of her desk. "May I wander around a bit? Like find the library or something like that?" Villetta nodded.

"Just don't disturb any classes. And remember your way back, alright? This shouldn't take me more than an hour and a half, okay?" Leah nodded and stepped out of the room. She sighed to herself and leaned against the wall.

"Why do I have the feeling that aside from Millay, Kallen, Rivalz and Suzaku, no one in this school trusts or even likes me?" she muttered as she started down the hall.

"Don't be so hard on yourself!" someone said as they half-landed on, half-draped themselves over Leah's back, pitching her forward a few steps to regain her balance. Three familiar blonde braids fell over her shoulder.

"Gino?" she said, turning her head to see him grinning at her.

"Bingo!" he said with a playful flick to her nose. Leah giggled a little. "And how's the injury?"

"Kinda hurts right now. You're heavy and I think the stitches are pulling." Gino straightened up and backed away a few steps as Leah pressed her hand to the wound and was relieved to not feel any blood.

"Sorry. I just saw you looking so upset and figured you could use some cheering up," he said. Leah smiled.

"Thanks. Mission successful, Knight of Three," she joked with a salute. Gino chuckled a bit.

"What are you doing here anyway? And dressed in the boys' uniform of all things?"

"I'm taking an entrance exam. I just finished and Mrs. Ohgi is letting me explore a bit, so long as I don't disturb any classes. And as for the uniform, Suzaku let me borrow it so I'm not hassled by security." Gino nodded and looked over Leah's shoulder at a pair of girls who were whispering and pointing at Leah. His eyes narrowed in warning and his wrist flicked in dismissal. The girls bolted around the corner. "What's wrong?"

"I think security is the least of your worries if you keep wearing that, Princess," he said, all joking gone from his tone. Leah looked over her shoulder but Gino grabbed her arm, a smile back on his face. "That means for now, I'll just have to be your bodyguard. We're gonna have a blast!"

"Hush! We can't disturb any classes," Leah pressed before the blonde Britannian began pulling her down the hall.

"Then I'll show you a place where you can be as loud as you like and no one can hear a peep!" he cried as he bolted outside, partially dragging Leah behind him. He looked back at the girl and stopped in his tracks. Leah bent over and started panting for breath.

"What's- why'd we stop?" she nearly wheezed out.

"Can you run a little bit for me?" he asked, earning him a confused look from the ravenette. "I wanna spot how you run." Leah shrugged and bolted forward. Gino almost wanted to groan.

Leah's arms were flinging themselves to her sides, her feet were going in any and all directions, landing on the flat of her foot, and gasping air into her hunched-over body every step.

"Stop!" Leah froze and turned back.

"Well?" she asked as she bent over and panted for air again. Gino walked up.

"First of all, don't bend over after a run unless you're puking. Instead, stand up straight and put your hands behind your head. It'll help stretch your lungs and let them expand to full capacity." Leah did as ordered. "Second, when you're running, stand up straight. Don't make fists but keep your hands as straight as possible like you're about to karate-chop something. And don't swing your arms or legs everywhere or that's where your energy is going to go. Instead, push them straight forward. Don't breathe on every step, instead, try breathing in for two steps and out for two. And land on your heel and push off with your toes. Got it?" Leah nodded as she lowered her arms.

"Running is complicated," she breathed. Gino shrugged.

"Its just physics."

"Right now, I kinda hate physics." Gino chuckled a little.

"Got your breath back?" He didn't even wait for a response as he grabbed her arm and pulled her along behind him. Leah's attention shot to how she was running and she righted her movements, almost surprised by how much easier the task became when she did.

"You really know your stuff, huh?" she asked as he pulled her into another building and down a few halls. He yanked her into the room, both laughing a little, and shut the door behind them. Leah placed her hands behind her head and started panting a little as she looked around. There were a couple benches next to her that lead to a window replacing the wall, allowing for anyone to see into the courtyard where there were senior students sitting around gossiping and on-break faculty enjoying some fresh air.

The room itself was rather empty aside from the benches. There were black instrument cases against the wall opposite the window and in the middle of the room was a large, black grand piano with the lid open, strings exposed towards the window and the Ashford Academy symbol on the lid.

"These are the music practice rooms. The walls are soundproofed so no one will hear any noise. Some students back in the day tried taking advantage of that so that's why we've got the window over there." Leah nodded as she walked over and sat down on the piano bench. "You play anything?"

"I don't know," she said with a shrug. Gino walked over and pushed on the high E then the D sharp below it. Leah turned as he started pressing random keys.

"Try it." The blonde moved and sat down on the bench. "Heck, try any of the instruments. Maybe something will jiggle a memory loose." Leah smiled and turned to the keys. Tentatively, she placed her fingers on the ivory and pressed down on the middle C, followed quickly by an F and G.

Gino's fingers began to tap out a beat on his knee as Leah continued to play, her other hand picking up on notes as they came to her head. About a minute or two into the song, he started chuckling and Leah cut off, holding down a B flat and G with her right hand and a G below low C with her left.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"The song you're playing. Its ironic I think," he chuckled.

"Why?"

"It's a piece called 'Coming Home' by Cory Gabel." Leah chuckled a little to herself.

"I was just playing the notes as they came to my head," she said with a shrug. Gino shook his head.

"Its fine. It's good that you learn everything you can about yourself while you remember things. And even if you don't remember who you were before, you have a good opportunity here to become a totally different person. I mean, you've got Suzaku, the Student council, Millay Ashford and me her for ya!" Leah giggled again and smiled at the Knight of Three.

"Thank you Gino. I'm glad I can call you a friend." Gino smirked and held his head up, obviously very proud of himself.

"Of course, princess. You need something fun to do, you give me a call, alright?" Leah nodded, a little puzzled. Gino noticed the look. "You live with Suzaku. I worked with him for about a year and he was a real stick in the mud. I know he's loosened up some but he is still the head of Empress Nunally's guard and the Knight of Zero. Sometimes, he can slip back into the stony guy I knew before the Demon Emperor."

"So…Nunally was Lelouch's sister?" Leah said as she started fiddling with the cord of her headphones. Her eyes looked down at her hand still on the keys.

"Yea. So?"

"So I can't imagine how much she hurts every day. I mean…does she have any family left?"

"She thinks of Suzaku like a big brother, and then there's all those other kids Charles vi Britianna had…like somewhere in the 70s at least. But Lelouch was the only one who shared a mother with her."

"Then I would imagine I should keep my distance from Nunally," Leah said as she started picking at dead skin again. Gino sighed.

"You hungry?" he asked after a moment. Leah shrugged.

"Suzaku's been reintroducing me to food slowly over the past few days. He said if I wanted to, I could start on some shellfish like mussels or shrimp if I wanted to. What's on the menu?"

"Don't know. What's something you know you like?" Gino asked as he headed for the door.

"I like chicken." The blonde smiled, winked and sent her a thumbs up.

"Keep on playing, maybe you really will remember something!" Leah nodded and started playing the song again, eyes closing as her extremities took over themselves. Her eyes closed as her head began to bob to the beat her toes were tapping out. She felt a warmth ghost over her right hand, following her fingers as she played. A smile played at the corners of her lips.

_"Is this a memory? Have I played this song before and someone hold my hand like this while I played?" _The song came to an end and Leah's eyes slowly opened. She looked at her hand, truly covered by a small pale hand. Leah followed the arm to see a young girl, probably a freshman, sitting in a pink wheelchair. She had long dirty-blonde hair and big violet eyes that were beginning to tear up somewhat. "Are you alright?" Leah asked, noticing that Gino had left the door open.

The girl nodded and wiped at her eyes.

"I was just remembering something is all." Leah smiled warmly at the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What's your name? I'm Leah Lamperouge." The girl's eyes widened a little.

"My name's Nunally. Nunally vi Britannia." Leah's eyes widened.

"Empress?!" she yelped in slight surprise as she jumped up, knocking the bench back, startling both girls. Leah immediately fell to her knees. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to seem so rude or to startle you. Were you going to play?" Nunally placed her hand on Leah's shoulder, getting the girl to look at her, her eyes just a little sadder. Leah's heart clenched painfully.

"I can't play the piano. Try as I might, I just can't. Its just..."

"I look like your late elder brother...correct?" Nunally nodded and began blinking furiously, a single tear slipped down her cheek. Leah reached up and brushed it away tenderly. "I'm sorry. I never intended to hurt anyone or bring back any unwanted memories." Nunally shook her head.

"I loved my brother and I know that what he did, good and bad, was all because he wanted a better future for me. So it does hurt to think about him sometimes, but I know he's in a better place right now." Leah smiled a little more. "And I'm glad you look like him. I only got to see his eyes for a short time and I had almost forgotten how they looked. So thank you for having my brother's eyes."

"Empress...I..."

"Please just call me Nunally. And please stop bowing, I get enough of that after school and while I'm here, I just want to be a normal kid like everyone else, okay?" Leah stood up and put the bench back where it belonged and sat down.

"Since you said you can't play Nunally, is there anything in particular you want to hear? Or you can tell me the opening notes and we can see if I can remember it?"

"There's one I remember really well. I heard it on the radio the other day. I think it started with a very low C, D and E on the left hand and middle C, E and G on the right in a B flat scale. Is that helpful?" Leah pushed on the keys and soon, the song was filling the room and Nunally was clapping to the beat as both girls hummed along to the tune.

That was the scene Gino walked in on a few moments later with Suzaku in tow. The two stared at the girls as the song came to an end, they started giggling and shared a hug.

"That was so much fun!" Leah giggled, pushing some hair behind her ear, only to have it fall back over her face.

"I agree. We need to do this again. We also need to find out who taught you to play so well." Gino knocked on the door.

"We've got lunch!" he called as Suzaku stepped in and shut the door. "And I see you've met Nunally…" Leah's eyes narrowed.

"You didn't shut the door and you directed her right to me, didn't you?" Gino put a small plate and a bowl on the bench next to Leah and chuckled.

"Maybe, maybe not, Princess. But now you've got another friend." Nunally giggled and Leah's foot began to tap on the floor.

"When Gino told me where you were, I went and told Mrs. Ohgi. She's just finishing up some things with the Dean and then we'll have the results to your entrance exam," he informed. Leah smiled as she picked up the small, pink shrimp off the plate.

"Take a bite. Its shrimp," Gino encouraged. Leah nodded and started eating.

The next half hour was full of small talk, Gino's storytelling of when he and Suzaku first met and the year that followed, and more music. Only to be interrupted by Mrs. Ohgi popping her head into the room a while later. She motioned for Leah to come with her and the ravenette nodded and obeyed.

Leah twisted her little finger in her other hand as she followed the teacher to the end of the hall. The silver-haired woman handed her a brown box.

"Congratulations. I talked with my husband about your scores and he said they're the best ones he's seen in his entire career as a teacher. Inside this, you'll find your uniform, the rules you have to agree to and a list of classes you can take. For the first few days, you'll just be with me. These are to give you grades and an overall GPA for the years you're skipping, after all, Suzaku is a senior. You choose the classes you want to test in and I'll get them ready. I'd recommend taking the harder ones first and if you don't pass them, you can come in and take an easier exam, alright?" Leah nodded, ecstatic.

"Thank you so much Mrs. Ohgi," she cheered, wrapping her arms around the woman gently. She pulled away after a moment. "I have to go tell the others. Thank you so much!" Leah turned and darted down the hall, stopped halfway and turned to face her teacher again. "And congratulations!" She turned back and vanished into the music room.

Viletta couldn't help but smile as she rubbed a hand over her stomach and turned to leave.

"Looks like things are about to get very interesting around here," she murmured to herself.

* * *

><p>Leah giggled and laughed as Millay fawned over how the uniform looked on the girl. Kallen stood off in the corner smiling in approval and Nunally was sitting at the table looking excitedly at the girl. Rivalz, Gino and Suzaku were standing near the window with a pink-haired girl who was glancing around, looking extremely bored.<p>

"And Mrs. Ohgi said you get to choose the exams you get to take?" Leah nodded as she dug into the box and pulled out the sheet, laying it out on the table.

"She said I should start with the hardest ones first. Then if I don't pass them, she'll just give me the exam for the class below it. So…"

"Leave this to me!" Millay said. "So the highest courses available are all AP or Advanced Placement courses. Our school actually has connections with colleges and a college on campus that allows for a high enough exam grade to shave off a semester of college class for that field. So if you took AP Psychology and got a 3, I think, you would have a semester of social sciences covered and it'll save you from some student loans and a lot of headache." Leah nodded.

"So I would say AP Calc is the highest math we have, and then there's…" Suzaku glanced over at the girls and smiled a little as Millay explained a few classes to Leah and they started circling exams for her to take.

His eyes flicked to the box where the sleeve of his spare school jacket had gotten caught on the corner. He looked back at Leah and felt himself relax a little more. She had a long way to go to simply make people stop looking at her like she was a piece of road kill on the bottom of their shoe, but she was already making progress.

Leah looked over at him and smiled, fiddling with the end of her tie as she did. He smiled back. Gino bumped him with his elbow.

"What?" he asked.

"This just occurred to me but has Arthur met her yet?" the blonde Knight asked. As if on cue, Leah yelped as a familiar dark grey cat with a black spot over an eye sunk his teeth into her Achilles tendon.

"Arthur!" Suzaku scolded as Leah started giggling again.

"He's just being playful, aren't you Arthur?" she cooed as she somehow managed to bring Arthur's attention to her finger and picked him up. The cat purred contentedly as he rubbed his face into the crook of her arm, pawed at her elbow and her long, pale fingers stroked down his spine, occasionally scratching behind his ear before returning to petting him. "You're a real sweetheart, aren't ya?"

"He's Suzaku's cat. But last week, he got busy with work and we let him crash here when that happens," Millay explained.

"And that work cleared up this week so I can take him home if you like," Suzaku said as he moved to stand next to the ravenette. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Really?! That's awesome! You hear that, Arthur? You're coming home with Suzaku and me," she purred at the creature. The feline fixed his golden irises on his owner as the Japanese reached out to pet him. The cat snapped his head up, sinking his teeth into the fingers closest to him. Suzaku winced but chuckled.

"He's just ticked that I left him here on his own," Suzaku explained as he pulled his fingers out of the mouth. Arthur meowed indignantly, as if to say 'That'll teach you!' Leah giggled a little and started petting the tiny black creature in her arms again. _"If Lelouch hadn't been born a prince, if he hadn't felt such a need to do what he did, could this have been his life?" _Leah picked up Arthur so he was facing her and the cat lapped at her nose, causing her to giggle. _"What am I thinking? Lelouch is dead. Leah is the one who's here. She's the one who needs my attention. Its not the time to go wandering into the world of what ifs." _

Leah looked up at Suzaku as he placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. Leah smiled at him before Arthur mewed and batted a paw at her face, demanding her attention again. She giggled and scratched at his chin.

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><p><strong>Phoenix: Okay, this was a bit of a slow one...huh? It was more for Leah and Nunally and for Leah to get into school. So, how about next chapter, we learn a little of what happens when Leah...No, won't tell you yet. Please review! Want to see some more sweet moments between Leah and Nuna? Review below! Want some more Gino? Review below! Want to see something else between Leah and another character? Review below!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Phoenix: Alright! Two reviews! Man! This story's really becoming popular now! Man! I can't wait to get to the action in the Christmas week! First reviews! So our first one is from DarTxeex and they say, "Amazing story, I really like it. Can't wait for the next update. Oh and in this chapter you have a section of paragraphs that repeat themselves. But other then that I see no other mistakes. :3 Keep up the good work." Thank you! And I fixed that little mistake so I hope we don't repeat that little fiasco again. Man that's embarrassing. Now then there's also namelessnameguy who says, "wow another great chapter. to me it looks like gino has a thing for leah. then again thus is cominb from a guy who cant count. 1.. 2.. 3.. green.. 83.. ohio.. a.. see! anyway quick question are you going to update other stories like red pyramid yugioh cross or it shouldnt have happened or ask our cast? also thanks for the shout out!" LOL! I love that dude! You crack me up! But um...I will update my other stories when inspiration strikes. Now then, story time!**

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><p>Leah smiled a little as Arthur batted at the end of the school tie she was dangling in front of his face, trying to keep him occupied as Suzaku practiced hand-to-hand combat with Gino and the other Knight, Anya. The cat started trying to grab hold of her tie with both his paws and she couldn't help the coo that she made as she reached forward and scratched under his chin.<p>

"He really seems to like you," Cécile said as she walked in with a tray of food. "I thought you may be hungry." Leah smiled and picked up the cat.

"Thanks, but I'm fine I had a pretty big lunch," she said politely. _"And Suzaku warned me not to eat your cooking." _Cécile smiled.

"So I hear you're going to try taking an Advanced Placement Physics test on Monday?" Leah nodded.

"Millay gave me all the study guides I'll need and walked through a few with me. Then Mrs. Ohgi and her husband helped me out with the rest." The blue-haired scientist smiled.

"Sounds like a lot of things are working out for you." Leah nodded. "How're your stitches doing?"

"They're fine. They're staying in. Susaku just recommends I not try to do a lot that involves running or using my legs."

"Good advise." Cécile took a seat and watched as Leah continued to pet, scratch and tickle Arthur, even kissing the top of his head once.

"Anything wrong Miss Cécile?" Leah asked softly as she let Arthur nibble on her fingertips. The woman sighed a little.

"Well...when we went to collect the data on your blood we found there was an error in the system that needs to be worked out before we can do anything. And it will be around Christmastime before we get any results."

"Christmas?" Leah asked.

"Its a time for friends and family and being together. Often times, presents are given to each other. I remember when I was little, sitting around the tree on Christmas morning with my parents and opening up my presents and watching them open mine. Call me cliché or whatever but I kind of wanted to return you to your family on Christmas morning in a cute little dress with a big red bow on your neck." Leah giggled a little at the idea. But then she began to think on it a little more.

Standing on a front porch in a nice little dress and a red bow on her neck, waiting nervously as feet moving could be heard inside and then the door opens, revealing a woman and a man who were her parents. Maybe siblings were hiding in another room, looking at the presents that were supposed to be hers the year before. She sighed a little.

"I guess that would've been nice. But even if I can't go home yet, I can still spend Christmas with Suzaku and the others, right Arthur?" she asked, picking up the feline so he faced her. He meowed his agreement and licked her nose. The two women laughed a little.

"You'll also spend it with Llyod and myself. We've been his legal guardians since he became a Knight and he insists we celebrate big holidays like this with him. "Glad there will be another young lady at the table this year." Leah giggled a little. "Would you like to come to the bridge with me? The Knights are about to run through some maneuvers and go on a quick patrol simulation."

"Sure!" Leah said as she got up and cuddled Arthur against her chest. "Lead the way." Cécile started down the hall and Leah rubbed at the corner of one of Arthur's ears. "Um...Miss Cécile?"

"Yes?"

"Suzaku told me that he once deployed a bomb that killed over 35 million people, is that true?" Cécile's eyes became sad and darkened a little.

"Yes that's true. But no one blames him. He was ordered to live by..."

"The Demon Emperor, I know. But why was that bomb on Suzaku's Knightmare?" Cécile shrugged.

"Someone decided it was a good idea. I was against it but no one listens to me all that much with those kind of things." Leah nodded. "But for now, lets not discuss Suzaku's previous battles when he's near or in the control room alright? I don't want him to think we're judging him." Leah nodded again as the two entered the room. A handful of people were talking into microphones and staring up at three screens that were completely black.

Cécile took a seat and gestured to Leah to follow her example.

"Lancelot, Mordred, Tristan, you're all clear for launch."

"Launching!" The screens lit up with light in an instant and after a few moments, the Tokyo shoreline shone on the screens. The lower one showed the backsides of the Tristan and Mordred while the middle one showed the back of the Mordred.

A door opened as orders and diagnostic reports began to fly between the pilots and the scientists. Leah turned to see a man with white hair and wire-rimmed glasses dressed in a long lab coat walked in.

"Who's that?" Leah asked.

"Llyod. He's the boss around here and the creator of the Lancelot. If he says anything to upset you or make you uncomfortable, I apologise in advance. There are times where I wonder if he was raised in a barn." Leah giggled a little.

"Still, if he invented the Lancelot, didn't he have anything to say about the bomb strapped to the Lancelot?" Cécile shook her head.

"I can't say. He often refers to the Knights as parts of a mechanism of the Knightmares."

"Then who's idea was it for that bomb?" Leah asked, eyes scanning over the scientists.

"One of our mechanical engineers. She's on the floor beneath us so when the simulation is over, she'll come up. But if you like, I can help you find her. Why are you so interested?"

"Because I want to meet the person who created such a device. On my entrance exam today, I was asked how many casualties were the result of the use of a nuclear bomb being dropped on Japan. Nearly 200,000. And I want to see the person who practically upgraded it, to the point where it killed 35 million people. I want to know why they chose Suzaku for the burden of carrying that." Cécile nodded.

"Just go down the hall Llyod just came from, take the elevator down one floor and the lab she's in should be the first one to the left on the right. Just be quiet because that's where the simulation is located as well." Leah nodded and stood up.

Arthur mewed lightly as Leah pressed the elevator button and locked her eyes on the floor.

"You curious about my intentions boy?" she asked as she scratched behind Arthur's jaw, making him purr. "In all honesty, I'm curious myself. I want to ask them why they chose Suzaku for that job, but what will I do then? Will I demand more answers or will I simply go back upstairs? I don't know. All I know is that this thing is something that troubles Suzaku...and for some reason, the look he had when he discussed it...it hurt me."

The doors pinked open and Leah slowly walked towards the lab. The door was open. She stopped just outside and stared at the door, listening to the simulated shots that were being fired down the hall and the louder parts of the conversation between the three Knights.

The ravenette took a deep breath and opened the door. Inside was relatively empty. A large stainless-steel table covered in machinery, half-finished projects and spare parts and tools. The room was filled with similar shelves and a computer rested on the table. Leah picked up a small scalpel and turned it over in her head, partially ignoring Arthur's worried meows.

The edge gleamed brightly in the light. Leah set Arthur down and looked the blade over a little more closely. A twinge of pain began to flare in the back of her head, slowly creeping towards her temples. She blinked and the light turned dark and the tool gleamed with a dark liquid that painted Leah's pale fingertips crimson.

She gasped and dropped the tool to the floor. She gripped the table as the darkness and blood vanished from her vision. Her breathing became shaky as the pain began to flare and pulse out of sync with her heartbeat.

The door opened and green-haired Nina Einstein walked in, partially surprised by the new arrival in her lab.

"Excuse me?"

* * *

><p>Suzaku couldn't help the small chuckle as Gino fired on the simulated enemy Knightmares. Anya was working on taking out the transports while he was the one taking out the Knightmares that got past Gino and made their way towards the simulated convoy for Empress Nunally.<p>

A long scream echoed through the room and the simulation stopped.

"What was that?" Anya asked as another scream sounded.

"Definitely not part of the simulation," Gino said pointedly as he and Suzaku got out of their simulation pods. Another scream sounded.

"Go away!" Suzaku tensed.

"Leah!" The two Knights bolted down the hall towards Nina's lab.

Nina was backed against the wall as Leah was curled up in a ball, hands up in defense and screaming at Nina.

"Get away from me you sick, psychopath! Go away!" Gino moved Nina outside as Suzaku raced to Leah. The second he was within reach, Leah threw her arms around him and started sobbing.

"Leah?"

"She was there!" the raven gasped out. Suzaku looked over his shoulder at Gino who nodded and turned to Nina in the hall as they began discussing quietly. Suzaku waited a few moments for Leah to calm down enough to speak.

"She was where?" he asked as he wiped away the tear tracks on her cheeks.

"That night. The first night I remember..."

"What happened that night?" he asked. Leah took a shaky breath.

"It was dark. I was on the floor. There was a lot of glass and blood near me. I- I stood up and on the table, was...someone. A person...a girl I think. And then that person was there and they killed her. They killed the girl and then started throwing things at me, screaming it was my fault and that I wasn't right. After that its all black until I was grabbed." Suzaku nodded and pulled Leah up with him.

"Did anything happen before Nina came in?"

"I started getting a headache. And I picked that up and for a second, I thought it was covered in blood," Leah explained as she pointed at the scalpel on the floor. Suzaku nodded.

"Well...lets get you out of here and get home, alright?" Leah nodded and the two started to leave.

"Wait, Arthur was here too."

"He was?" Suzaku winced as a familiar set of sharp little teeth sank into his ankle. "Found him."

* * *

><p>Leah sighed to herself as Suzaku started the shower. Arthur rested contentedly on her lap.<p>

"I interrupted Suzaku's training. Once more, I cause him trouble. I know it was just a simulation, but he needs to practice as much as possible. I really need to stop being so much trouble for him..." Leah looked towards the kitchen. "Hmm."

* * *

><p>"Leah? Its starting to get a little late. Want to help order a pizza?" Suzaku asked as he stepped out of the shower. A silence was his response but the smell of spices and the sound of chopping came from the kitchen. "Leah?" He peeked inside the room as Leah dropped some chopped up vegetables into a pot and placed a lid over it. "May I ask what you're up to?"<p>

"Making steamed vegetables, cooking some chicken and the rice cooker is working on a starch for tonight."

"Why?"

"Well, Miss Cécile asked me to keep quiet when I went down and I ended up being so loud I interrupted your training and then we left. I'm guessing you weren't supposed to, right?" Suzaku sighed. "So I figured, the very least I can do is make some dinner. I mean, it is normal for girls to be the cook in the house, right?"

"Leah..."

"I know you're constantly saying that I'm not any trouble but I can't help but feel like I am sometimes. And so I just want to do something where I'm not causing you trouble. And I figure, if I can help around the apartment, it'll-" Suzaku wrapped his arms around Leah from behind.

"You really worry too much," he said as he gently squeezed her against him.

"Careful, I'm still cooking here," she warned with a light giggle.

"You know, you really aren't any trouble. Today, you remembered something. Tonight we should celebrate. And when you showed up on my balcony, I said I was going to take care of you. That means that if you need me, I'll be there. Especially for memories like the one you got today." Leah smiled and leaned back against the Japanese teen.

"I got it. But I'm still going to be cooking and cleaning around here. I want to show that I can earn my keep."

"You already do," he assured as he started moving around the kitchen to set the table. Arthur hopped up onto the counter and sniffed at the meal. Leah couldn't help but smile as she turned the chicken over and checked the vegetables. There was a slight edge of excitement in her body, growing from her stomach and spreading like wildfire through her muscles and bones.

_"Is this what being part of a family is like? I don't remember feeling like this before. Maybe...just maybe..." _Leah shook her head. _"Focus on dinner now. Memories later."_

* * *

><p>Leah sighed as she sat down behind the piano again.<p>

"Once more, finished with the tests I requested far too early. Now all I can do is wait for Mrs. Ohgi and any other teachers to finish grading my tests and then by tomorrow, or even the day after, I'll have my classes all set." Her fingers found their way to the ivory and began to play absent-mindedly, no attention given to the notes as they flowed through the practice room. For some reason, her heart was heavy with something she couldn't name.

The minutes dragged on and slowly the music came to a stop. She sighed and glanced out the window at the snow as it fell. The past few days at school had been loosing their appeal for her. The skies grew more bleak and oppressive, much like many of the students when she'd head to the classroom for her tests and any that saw her leaving school.

She almost wanted to just take every last test so she could so she could spend her days at the apartment with Arthur and keeping out of everyone's way. It probably would've been a better than a life at school.

Slowly she stood up and left the room. No location or direction in mind, just simply walking around and trying to just think.

After a few moments, the cold air forced her into another building, this one was more like a mansion with a large entrance perfect for large parties and a grand staircase in the back that split off towards two wings. The railings were covered in pine and red ribbons and colored lights. The same lights decorated the windows and the wall behind the staircase was covered in twinkling lights, taking on the appearance of falling snow. Gentle music played and Leah couldn't help a small smile as she started wandering around inside.

In the middle of the floor was a large pine tree covered in lights and brightly colored ornaments with a large gold star pointing to the ceiling that was covered in more hanging lights. A few lengths of the bulbs wrapped around pillars and twinkled gently. Around the base of the tree were a copious amount of boxes wrapped in beautiful colors and tied with neat little bows.

She couldn't help the tiny smile that pulled at the corners of her mouth.

_"This...is Christmas?" _Her arms wrapped around herself, mirroring the warmth hat flooded over her in a familiar way, gentle arms holding her against someone. Someone who loved her, protected her, and wanted nothing more than for her to be happy. _"I_ must've_ had __a family. At least once. Because otherwise...how could_ I..." Leah sighed again as she started up a flight of stairs, soon making her way to the Student Council room.

She gently patted Arthur's head as he dozed contentedly on the cat house. Leah looked around the room a bit. A small pile of boxes were stacked along the wall with various labels on them. Outside, the windows were lined with holly outside and colored lights shone from the branches.

"Its so nice in here," she whispered as she turned back to the door, only to see Arthur slip out of it. "Oh Arthur! Wait!"

* * *

><p>Suzaku let out a relieved sigh as he walked towards his locker from gym class, wiping at the sweat that gleamed on his face with a towel.<p>

"Glad that's over. I do enough weight-lifting as it is. I wonder if there's a way to get them to count my military duty a gym credit...Man, that sounded way too much like Lelouch," he chuckled. A locker door clanged open, catching his attention quickly. He bolted down the hall and snapped around the corner to see a familiar kitty digging through his black duffel bag. The Zero mask lay on the floor next to him. "Arthur!" The cat looked up, holding one of Zero's gloves between his teeth.

The creature mewed loudly before running off down the hall. Suzaku shoved the Zero costume back into his bag and shoved the bag back into his locker. He yanked his uniform back on before bolting out the door, nearly running into Rivalz and a few other boys as they came into the room.

"Hey Suzaku!"

"Sorry no time to talk! Arthur! Come back here! How'd you get out of the apartment anyway?!" Rivalz sighed.

"I'm getting a weird sense of déjà vu here," he breathed as he shook his head. Then his eyes lit up. "Than that means I may get a chance now!" he said before running off down the hall.

* * *

><p>Millay perked up a little when Rivalz entered the kitchen to the student council building.<p>

"What's up?" she asked as he bent over to catch his breath.

"Arthur...Suzaku...Déjà vu all over again."

"Wait...you mean to say Arthur grabbed something of Suzaku's that made him lose his cool a bit?" Rivalz nodded. "Huh, déjà vu. So what, you think we should announce it to the campus again with the same reward?" Rivalz nodded.

"You never know...he's got plenty of secrets since he came back after Lelouch's death. Maybe its a clue as to where he was..." Millay smirked.

"Alright. You've convinced me."

* * *

><p>Leah was making her way up flight after flight of stairs when the announcement came on, but she was a little too focused on the black feline ahead of her to pay much attention.<p>

"Arthur! Come back here, really!" she called as the cat vanished around another corner. He released a little meow before Leah turned only to be met with an empty landing. The girl sighed to herself. "Honestly, Arthur!" she yelled.

"Leah?" Suzaku called as he began his way up the stairs. Leah looked down and smiled at him.

"Hey there!" she called back.

"Is Arthur up there?"

"Yea! I've almost got him! Any idea how he got to school?!"

"Not one! But why don't you head down! I'll catch Arthur!"

"Don't worry! I got the advantage in distance so I can catch him!"

"Leah!" The girl darted up the stairs. "Oh for Pete's sake," Suzaku muttered as he tried to catch up with the ravenette. "Now I know how Lelouch felt with all this kind of insanity."

By the time the Knight made it to the top of the stairs, Leah was already crawling out a window onto the roof.

"Leah!"

"Its okay, I can see him from here," she assured. Suzaku ran to the window and half stepped out but froze and looked down at the good three inches of snow on the roof as opposed to the underside of Leah's skirt.

"Listen, Leah. I'm his owner so just come back in here and I'll get him. Anyway, aren't you cold?" he asked, not ever looking up as Leah crawled up the roof, her front soaked from the melted snow.

"I've been through worse. And anyway, I've almost got him." The girl turned back to the feline as he looked down at her curiously. "Here boy," she cooed with outstretched fingers. Arthur mewed and leapt down, sliding into the crook of Leah's arm and nuzzling head into the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

"Does he have anything?" Leah pulled the glove from Arthur's mouth and tucked it away in her waistline.

"Just a glove. Yours I'm guessing?" she asked as she began to slide down, her backside now starting to get wet as well.

"Hey. Be careful coming down alright?"

"Don't worry so much. I'm sure if I got up here-" Her foot placed itself on a patch of ice and slipped, cutting her off as she lost her footing. Suzaku's hand shot out and latched onto hers before she could slip off the edge. A loud gasp could be heard from the crowd that had assembled below on the ground. Leah's fingers were trembling as she set Arthur on her arm, pushing on his rear end to make him move.

Once he was within range, Suzaku grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dropped him at his feet inside. He turned back to Leah and pulled her into the building again, clutching her against him.

"This is why I told you to be careful," he said exasperated as he stood up and set the girl on her feet. He pulled off his jacket and pulled it over her shoulders as she shivered a little. "You could've gotten hurt."

"But I waited for you to be close enough to catch me if I fell before I crawled out," she said.

"Still you could've been seriously hurt or even killed, do you realize that?" Leah nodded as Suzaku picked up Arthur.

"I'm sorry," she said. He shook his head and sighed.

"Its alright, you're fine now right?" Leah nodded before putting a hand to her temple as a pain flared through her skull. "Leah?" Her hands moved to cover her ears as the pain sent her to her knees and intensified. The Knight dropped his cat and took hold of Leah's arms. "Leah." Her teeth grit as her breathing began to quicken. Her muscles began to tense to the point of trembling. "Leah!" The pain grew more and more intense by the second until she started screaming from the agony. The spell only lasted a moment before she lost consciousness, pitching forward into Suzaku's body. "Hey! Leah! LEAH!"

* * *

><p>Leah groaned as her eyes cracked open to see the sterile white walls of the medical ward of a military car. She looked around a little and her eyes locked on Nunally who was sitting by her side, smiling sweetly.<p>

"Nuna-" Pain flared in Leah's head as she tried to sit up. Nunally placed her hands on Leah's shoulders, pushing her back onto the bed.

"Take it easy, Leah. You passed out after catching Arthur. The nurse said you have to rest." Leah sat up again, this time slowly and reclined against the iron headboard.

"I'll be fine, its happened before."

"It has?" Leah nodded as she rubbed her neck, working out a few knots with her fingers.

"When I was with the Yakuza, I would have blackouts like this when I was being beaten. After, I'd always be back in my crate and a few of the Yakuza would be missing the next time, their little buddies calling me a demon." Nunally bit on her lip, eyes darkening with pity. Leah took note of the gaze. She reached over and placed a hand on both of Nunally's. "Its alright. I'm safe now and the Yakuza can't get to me. If this kind of thing happens because of my time with them, I can deal with it."

"But-" Leah smiled.

"I appreciate your concern Nunally, but really, I'm fine." A door hissed open.

"At least according to Miss Cécile you are," Suzaku said as he walked in. Leah beamed at him as he sat on the cot beside her. "We checked on your head while you were out of it. Apparently there's nothing wrong with your brain physically so it could've just been shock or something that caused your loss of consciousness."

"Thanks for the report, Doctor," Leah teased with a tiny salute and a giggle. A pulse of pain caused her to wince.

"What is it?" Nunally asked. Leah shook her head.

"Nothing. Probably just shouldn't laugh for right now," she assured, patting Nunally's hands. "How long was I unconscious?"

"Long enough for the nurse and Miss Cécile to look you over and the ride home. We've been sitting outside the apartment for about ten minutes now." Leah nodded.

"I see. So, you had to leave school?"

"Leah, don't start," he said firmly as he stood up. "I'll go tell the driver we're leaving and then you and I will head upstairs, okay?"

"Where's Arthur?"

"He ran back to the Student Council room so he'll stay there for the night," Nunally giggled. Leah smiled as Suzaku left. Nunally waited until the door hissed shut before she spoke again. "So Leah, you're the one who caught Arthur, right?" The ravenette nodded. "So who's it going to be?"

"Huh?"

"Didn't you hear the reward Miss Millay promised? You get a kiss from a student council member." Leah flushed bright red and yanked the blankets over her head. "Leah?"

"Who the heck makes a kiss from a person a prize?! Honestly, that's so embarrassing! What if the person who won didn't want to kiss a student council member but someone else?"

"Well…then I suppose they could kiss someone else. Is the person you'd want to kiss not on the student council?"

"That depends," Leah said as she pushed the blanket off her head. "Who're the members?"

"Well, I'm the president, Rivalz is the secretary, Kallen is in charge of the treasury, Anya and Gino are also there…oh and Suzaku is the vice-president." Leah flushed red again and ducked under the blankets again. "Leah?"

"Forget it! I never asked anything, got it?!" Nunally chuckled as Suzaku came back in.

"Leah?"

"Nothing! I said nothing!" she yelled from under the blankets.

"I was just going to ask if you're ready to go," he chuckled. Leah got back up and stepped out of the cot. "See you tomorrow Nunally," Suzaku said as he wrapped an arm around Leah's waist and pulled an arm over his shoulders.

"Bye Nuna," Leah called with a wave. Nunally smiled and waved good-bye.

The two stepped out of the car and made their way towards the door.

"Suzaku!" Gino called from the top of the vehicle, catching the attention of both students. "We'll stick around for a bit in case something happens, alright? Just call if you need something!" Suzaku nodded. "And congrats Leah! You're in class with Suzaku, Rivalz and Kallen starting tomorrow morning so make sure you're good and healthy, alright?" Leah smiled and nodded.

"See you tomorrow Gino!" Leah called as Suzaku lead her up the stairs. For the most part, the girl kept her eyes on her feet as the Japanese boy led her towards the apartment. _"Once again, I cause problems for Suzaku. I'm going to need to make something special for dinner tonight to make up for it…maybe even do a little cleaning." _Suzaku froze in his steps and pushed Leah behind him. "Suzaku?"

"Shh," he hissed harshly as he pushed them to the wall. The door to the apartment was missing. "Stay here," he said as he reached to his ankle and pulled a gun from a strap around his ankle. Slowly, he made his way into the apartment.

Leah sank to the floor and watched the door as Suzaku's shadow moved around the place he lived in. She crawled over and peered around the door frame as Suzaku crept into the kitchen. The living room looked like everything had been flipped over. Books and pictures littered the floor, the shelf rested on the wall opposite where it had stood that morning. The television was on the floor, shards of glass sparkling like ice on the carpet around it. The couch's cushions had been ripped apart and the stuffing now littered the floor. Suzaku reappeared and headed towards the bedroom, coming back a moment later, relaxed.

"You can come in. Be careful to preserve the scene so don't touch anything." Leah nodded as Suzaku called Gino. She stood up and walked to the kitchen. The refrigerator had been knocked over, its contents now littering the floor and the dining table had been overturned onto the counter. The cupboards were bare, their contents shattered on the floor and the window smashed to the outside.

The ravenette moved to the bedroom. The mattress had been flipped and a wide slit ran down the middle. Clothes were scattered everywhere and the drawers from the dresser were all yanked out. The desk had been wiped clear and its drawers pulled out and emptied onto the floor.

Leah walked back to the living room as Suzaku ended his call. She stepped towards him but froze when something crinkled under her foot. She looked down and the image of Lelouch in the cat costume stared back at her from under the edge of the shelf.

"Suzaku…" The male turned to her. "Is it okay if I pull this picture out?" He nodded and she carefully pulled the crumpled picture out from under the shelf. The edges were torn a little as she dusted it off and started trying to flatten it out on her leg. "Who could've done this?"

Suzaku started looking around, lifting things a few centimeters with a pen to look underneath. He pulled something out from under one and looked it over, eyes beginning to smolder and spark as he looked it over.

"I think I know," he said as he held up the card. On one side was a single red spot right in the middle and on the other, there was writing. 'We're coming for Prime Minister Kururugi,' it read in kanji.

"Yakuza…" Suzaku put down the card and went to Leah, wrapping his arms around her. She gripped his white shirt tightly in trembling hands.

"Its alright. They won't get either of us," he assured. Slowly, he pulled Leah out of the room as Gino and a small number of police officers came up the stairs. "Start canvasing the area and checking for fingerprints. There's a card on the floor that should be looked over most that looks like the Japanese flag." Gino nodded and gave the orders to some of the cops.

Leah simply clung to Suzaku even when the military car had left the area and was making its way towards the Empress' villa. The Japanese teen ran his hand over her hair, trying to soothe her while Nunally was talking on the phone with the police. Both the elder teens knew it was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>Leah's fingers tapped out the beat of her music on her inner thigh as Suzaku finished up the last of the questions from the police. Nunally had set them up in the two rooms next to hers with Suzaku sandwiched in between the two girls so he could respond to either in moments.<p>

The walls to Leah's room were a pearly-white color with a pale brown wood covering the floor. A large marble fireplace was set against the wall, in between two windows that went from the ceiling to the floor. A pair of pale gold curtains hung over the glass. A pair of plush, violet armchairs faced the fireplace and a pair of shelves stood on each side of a desk in the corner. Leah's bed was made of deep mahogany with deep violet covers. The drapes were lined with gold tassels and the outlines of flowers were sewn into the thick material in gold.

Suzaku shut the door and walked over to Leah.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Leah continued her tapping, having not heard him. He moved one of her headphones away from her ears and repeated his question. Leah nodded her response. He sat down beside her and pulled her against him. "Look, I know the Yakuza scare you. Heck, I'd be scared too if they did to me what they did to you. But we're safe here. Nunally's security is practically perfect."

"Its not fear," she muttered. "I just keep thinking that maybe I shouldn't have even been found." Suzaku pulled back a little, staring at the girl as she pulled off her headphones and set the music player aside. "I mean. I got kidnapped, I interrupted your work, Millay arranged all those tests for me and now this? Maybe things would've been better if Zero had just stayed out of the Yakuza's way," she hiccupped before breaking down into sobs. Suzaku wrapped his arms even tighter around her and pulled her onto the middle of the bed. She crawled into the tiny space his crossed legs allowed and clutched onto his shirt.

"Leah, you can't think like that. Zero did what was right by taking you away from those people. None of what happened at the apartment is your fault. And everything involving you isn't your fault either. No one can tell when they'll be kidnapped or even if. No one can tell when something like what you've experienced will happen to them. True, a lot has happened because you're here. For instance, Nunally's happier than I've seen her in a while, the student council is getting really excited for their newest member's first party and the school is gaining a greater mind, and I'm not alone with Arthur anymore." Leah couldn't help a tiny giggle. "Was that a laugh?" Leah shook her head. "I think it was." She shook her head again, vigorously, but she giggled again. "You just did it again! You know what.."

With a squeal, Leah found herself trapped under the Knight, wrists trapped in a firm grip above her head as his hand moved to tickle her stomach. She kicked and bucked, laughing and screaming the whole while as she tried to remove the Knight on top of her.

Eventually, her leg swung up, catching his thigh and swinging him off balance so Leah could swing herself on top of him. But Suzaku wasn't one to take a physical defeat so easily. He swung his body, using the momentum, Leah gave him to flip their positions again...

Or at least that was the plan. Instead, the two slipped off the side. Suzaku twisted in midair so he landed on the floor instead of Leah.

"Sorry about that," he said to the girl now flat against his chest. Leah's shoulders began to shake. "Leah?" She pushed herself up and started laughing, almost hysterically. "Better now?" he asked with a smile. Leah nodded, covering her laughing with her hand but ultimately giving up the attempt. After a couple moments, Leah was able to calm down enough to speak again.

"How'd you know that would cheer me up?" Suzaku shrugged.

"I had a little sister when I was a kid. I used to do that when she needed some cheering up."

"Really? You have a sister?"

"She'd be around Nunally's age now. But she passed away in a car accident two years before the Britannian invasion. It really shook up my parents. My mom drove her own car off a cliff she was so upset. I'm just glad she died before she saw any of this stuff from the invasion. I can sleep knowing she died innocent to the world." Leah sighed and rolled her eyes.

"But you still think of her...What was her name?"

"Keiko Kururugi. It was spelled with the kanji for respect and child." The two fell into a silence until the door opened again and Nunally rolled in.

"What's going on in here? I heard screaming and then a crash and then it got quiet."

"Suzaku was just cheering me up, Nuna," Leah explained. Nunally smiled.

"Well then. I say we get downstairs for dinner." The two stood up and followed Nunally oit the door, where Leah almost immediately bumped into someone.

"Oh sorr- Ah!" she jumped back against Suzaku at the sight of Jeremiah Gottwald.

"Sorry about that Lord Jeremiah, she's new." Leah's eyes were stuck on the orange covering on his left eye.

"Ah, understandable. I know my appearance can be somewhat frightening, miss. But I assure you, I mean you no harm." Leah turned to Suzaku for confirmation.

"He's in charge of Nunally's guard until I graduate from college. Then he'll take over palace security and being the supplier of the palace oranges."

"Huh?" Leah asked with a cocked brow. Jeremiah laughed loudly.

"Its a long story miss."

"Please, just Leah will do." The man nodded and smiled before gesturing to follow Nunally. Leah curtsied politely and did so.

* * *

><p><strong>Phoenix: Alright! So we've got about ten days left in this story until Christmas. Do you guys think the last chapter should match with the day it is in the story to when its updated? Leave a review to tell me!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Phoenix: Hey everyone! So we've got another review! From DarTxeez who says, "I don't see why not. :) I kinda figure this will be a Leah x Suzaku. But could you add a little Gino x Leah fluff? I am so ashamed for even thinking it. XD" Don't be ashamed. I love that already people are liking different pairings with Leah. And we've got plenty of fluffies!**

* * *

><p>Leah sighed somewhat solemnly as she turned the page in another dress book. Millay had insisted on that being Leah's course of action until the next semester after exams. And with only a week and a half left until Christmas break and two weeks to the date itself, Leah saw the pointlessness in attending class right now.<p>

But she'd never expected Millay to drag her to the student council building to look for a proper dress for her first party as a student council member. Millay was shifting through a book of fabrics and colors, sometimes pulling one or another out and holding it up against Leah before putting it back. If she liked the color, she'd place a colored tab on the page and write the number on the end.

Leah's job was much simpler; look through the dresses, find one she liked, and place a tab on each page she even partially liked. So far, Leah had only put a tab on one dress and simply for the way the lace fell off the gown like a cloak. Other than that, she just couldn't see herself wearing any of the others she'd passed over.

She turned the page and her eyes widened a little at the next gown. Floor-length, empire waist, strapless with a twisting ivy patterns with flowers on the hem. Leah pulled off a tab and carefully stuck it on the gown and then looked over at the next page that had the styles of ribbon that could be used and the option of straps and different skirts.

Millay stood up with another color and peered over Leah's shoulder.

"Oh wow," she breathed.

"Would it be okay?" the ravenette asked as she looked up at the blonde.

"Of course! Its beautiful. I'd leave the skirt and top alone though. But that tiny little ribbon simply _has _to go," she said sternly as she began looking over the page.

"Maybe we could ask Suzaku his opinion?" Millay shook her head.

"Nope. Suzaku won't be seeing this  
>dress until the party. But if you want a man's opinion, we could call in Rivalz or Gino."<p>

"Why them and not Suzaku?" Leah asked with a chuckle.

"Because Suzaku is going to be escorting you. The theme for the Christmas party is a Royal Christmas. So we girls will be dressed as princesses and the boys will be our knights in shining armor. It was luck of the draw yesterday so I'm paired with Rivalz and Gino is escorting Nunally. You get Suzaku. And we want these dresses to be a real surprise for the boys so the boys cannot offer opinions on the dress their girl is wearing."

"Is Suzaku aware of this?"

"I texted him yesterday…" Milay said as she set the book back down and pointed at a style of ribbon. "Perfect!" Leah looked. It was a large bow that would let the ends of what hung down trail behind her.

"Umm…" Leah rubbed the back of her neck a little nervously as Millay ran back to her book and pulled out a few colors, a deep ocean blue and a pale lavender. The paler color was put on the bow and the blue on the gown.

"There we go! It'll match Suzaku's cape perfectly!"

"It will?" Leah asked as Millay ran to the stack of books and pulled out some new ones.

"Yea. When he worked for Lelouch, it was black. But now that he works for Nunally, he went back to blue. And now…you need a few little touches." Millay set down a book by Leah. "Look through that and find a style you like. I'll give the say so." Leah picked up the book and a glittering diamond tiara was on the front cover. "I'll check through this for just some simple stuff." With that, the two fell into silence again.

Leah sighed and opened the book. The first few pages were the stones and metals available and how to measure the head to fit the tiara. After a while, she closed the book, catching Millay's attention.

"I'm not a huge fan of a lot of these," Leah sighed. Millay scooted over and opened the book again. She flipped through a few pages and finally came to a stop on one.

"What about this one?" she asked, pointing at a silver band that looked like ivy that was meant to wrap around the head. Leah shook her head. Millay turned a few more pages and smiled. "Here." Leah looked down and tilted her head to the side. The crown was simple, just a band meant to rest on the head that elevated into a triangular shape in the middle. She shrugged. "Sounds like a yes to me. So if you go with that, then we should do it in silver and diamonds. Which means diamond bracelet and earrings. Are your ears pierced?" Leah pushed her hair out of the way to show the hole-free lobes. "You never had them pierced?" Leah shook her head.

"I guess I just never had the chance." Millay sighed.

"Alright. Then on Sunday, I'll take you to the mall again and we'll get your ears pierced. But that means studs only. So maybe we do a sapphire bracelet?" Leah looked down at the stones Millay was pointing at and the ones right next to them caught her eye.

"What're these?" she asked, pointing to them.

"Those are amethysts. Want to try those instead?" Leah nodded. "Alright then. We're all set. I'll just get your measurements really quick and then you and I will start adding some finishing touches for the party, alright? Then we can get some lunch." Leah nodded as Millay grabbed the measuring tape. "Have you ever danced before?" Leah shook her head. "Then we'll have to teach you. I suppose Gino ought to know how, he is the son of a noble family. Arms out please."

Leah spread her arms and stood as tall as she could as Millay began to measure and write down what she observed.

"Millay?"

"Hmm?" Millay responded from Leah's shoulders as she took the arm span of the girl.

"Why are you here at Ashford? I mean, you're older than Suzaku and Kallen and you don't attend classes and you don't even wear a uniform. So why are you here?"

"Nostalgia. I work as a reporter at night and I spend my days here. It makes a nice change from the depression working in the news business can bring."

"Depression?" Millay nodded as she wrapped the tape around Leah's bust.

"Between the rumors of the EU trying to spark another war, diseases tearing across nations, financial troubles, drug and human traffickers, it can all be very depressing. I prefer the atmosphere of Ashford Academy better. In fact, my grandfather and I were discussing my coming back to the university here, earning my teaching degree and teaching a journalism class at the school." Leah smiled as Millay finished measuring.

"I'd take that class," Leah assured. Millay smiled.

"Thanks. For now though, lets get to work." Millay picked up a roll of white mesh material and the two left the room. "So the ladder's already set up, I'll hold it if you're willing to take this and wrap it around the railings. We're trying to make it look like snow drifted up on the second floor so the holly and stuff isn't hanging in midair." Leah nodded and the two got to work.

Leah slipped her headphones on as she began to wrap the material around the rungs. Once she was situated, Millay began to hang more ornaments on the tree.

After a few moments, Millay looked back at Leah and covered her mouth. Leah was standing with one foot on the ladder, the other dangling in the air as she stretched to the last rung she could possibly reach for. The ravenette's balance wobbled and she gripped the rung tightly.

"Leah!" Millay yelled. "Come down! We'll just move the ladder and you can start again at a safe distance, alright?!" Leah ignored her, or simply didn't hear her, Millay didn't know, but Leah continued to wrap. She stretched towards the next rung. "Leah!"

The ravenette's foot slipped and her headphones snagged on the ladder, slipping her music player out of her pocket and the headphones off her ears. Leah screamed as the floor came up on her quickly, Millay copying her with a covered mouth. Leah's eyes shut tightly.

"SAFE!" someone yelled as Leah felt an arm under her knees and another under her shoulders. She gave her head a shake. "You okay princess?" Leah's eyes snapped open to face the blonde Knight holding her.

"Gino!" Millay cried as Leah wrapped her arms around the teen's neck. "Is she okay?!" Gino nodded.

"I think she's just shaken is all," he explained as he set Leah down and the girl released him. Millay ran over and wrapped her arms around Leah.

"I'm so sorry Leah! I should've kept a closer eye on you! You're shaking!" the blonde cried. Leah nodded as she looked at her trembling fingers.

"I think its called shock," the raven-haired girl explained. Gino looked up at the material still hanging unfinished.

"Why didn't you just move the ladder?" he asked as he took hold and climbed up.

"Millay was busy and I was making good progress. I figured I'd be alright."

"If Gino hadn't come in, you would have gotten a one-way ticket to the hospital young lady," Millay scolded. "For goodness sakes Leah." Leah smirked a little as Gino pulled the headphones and music player off the ladder and pulled the headphones over his ears.

"Works just fine," he reported as he removed them and climbed down the ladder, holding the items to his chest like a firefighter might a kitten. Once he landed, he bent on one knee and held the items out to Leah, who chuckled a little.

"Thank you, Sir Gino," she said as she took them back. She placed a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. "A truly chivalrous knight, aren't you?" she said as the blonde smiled at her and crossed his fist over his chest.

"All to please such a beautiful princess," he replied. Millay sighed.

"Alright you two, enough flirting," she said playfully. Leah's cheeks burned red and she slipped her headphones back on.

"Sorry Millay, can't hear you!" she yelled as she moved the ladder over. Gino climbed up in her place.

"I'll handle this. You two worry about the tree."

"Actually Gino! I need you to teach Leah to dance," Millay called. "I'll get Rivalz or Suzaku to handle that. You just worry about Leah and her dancing." Gino saluted and put his feet on the outside of the ladder, allowing him to slide down to Leah. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and leaned on her.

"Don't worry about it ex-Prez. Leave this little Princess to me!"

"Gino, you're heavy," she groaned as she struggled to keep her balance. Millay giggled a little as the blonde darted up the stairs and vanished into a room to grab the portable stereo and some music. "Flirting? Really?" Millay shrugged and went back to the ornaments.

"Its your own fault for kissing him," she joked.

"Oh come on!" Leah groaned as the door shut. The girls looked at one very surprised-looking Suzaku.

"Leah kissed who?" The raven's face went red as a beet as Millay chuckled to herself.

"Gino. Isn't it sweet? If it weren't for that boy, Leah could've broken her neck, the adrenaline junkie!" Suzaku turned a pointed gaze on Leah. She bit her lip as Gino came downstairs with the stereo and a couple CDs.

"So then, Leah we…" The blonde paused at the pointed look the Knight of Zero was giving him. "Hey Suzaku, what's up?"

"Just curious about what's going on here. Like Leah kissing you?"

"Just the cheek!" she squeaked out. "As a thanks for saving me and getting my headphones off the ladder." Suzaku nodded.

"Millay, what else did you need?" The Japanese teenager went to Millay's side and listened intently to his list of duties before Saturday as Gino put a hand on Leah's shoulder.

"Come on. There's a room we can practice privately in just upstairs if you're alright with that." Leah nodded and let Gino lead her up as her eyes watched Suzaku climb the ladder. The boy watched them go into the room.

"Keep it open!" he called as he began to wrap.

* * *

><p>Leah chewed on her lip as Gino sighed a little and the bell began to ring.<p>

"I have to get to class now."

"Don't you have lunch?"

"I used it up here," he said. Leah's eyes widened a little.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to take up all your time."

"Its fine Princess, I'll sneak  
>eating in class. I enjoyed my time with you," he said as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Thanks for all the dances. I hope we can do it again at the party." With that, the Knight of Three left. Leah sighed as she stopped the music and sat down on the floor, running over the steps Gino had taught her in her head.<p>

"Leah?" The raven-haired girl looked up at Suzaku in the doorway with Arthur in his arms, biting on his thumb, tail flicking contentedly.

"Yes?"

"I have a meeting after school tonight. So you'll be with Millay to get your ears pierced then she'll take you home, alright?" Leah began to draw absent-mindedly in the carpet. "What is it?"

"You seemed upset earlier when you found out I kissed Gino…" she mumbled. Suzaku sighed and set Arthur down before sitting in front of Leah.

"I'll admit I was surprised. Because I thought it had been more than just the cheek."

"Why does that matter?" she asked. Suzaku turned a little red and looked at Arthur, who was occupying himself with a piece of ribbon hanging out of a box. "It's a way to show affection or appreciation right? So what difference would it make if it was on the cheek or…the lips even?" The Japanese stood up and headed for the door, face nearly burning red now.

"A-Ask Millay! I have class!" he called. Leah cocked her head to the side as Arthur rubbed his head on her leg. She scratched his raised back absent-mindedly and he purred in appreciation. The girl looked at the feline.

"He sure can be weird sometimes," she remarked. Arthur meowed as if agreeing. The door opened and Rivalz popped his head in.

"Hey Leah, wanna see something?" The girl nodded as the blue-haired teen came in and set a computer in the table and the screen glared back an online chess game. "To help keep off the boredom until school's out. See, you just play like I taught you and you just want to win, alright?" Leah nodded and sat down. "I already made you an account so you're starting off as a beginner. You advance in ranking with the number of opponents you beat and who you beat, alright?" Leah nodded again and Rivalz left as the girl began to play.

* * *

><p>The final bell rang long and loud over the campus when Millay entered the room.<p>

"Leah, you ready to pierce your ears?" she asked sweetly as she poked her head in. Leah snapped up.

"Sure, just a moment, I'm almost finished with this one opponent," she said as she clicked and moved one of her pieces. "Check." Millay walked over and looked at the screen over Leah's shoulder.

"Twenty opponents?"

"I finished the one Rivalz set up for me in a few minutes, then the others were on top of the list. This guy's about to be downgraded to number 2 while I take his place," Leah said with a smirk. The opponent moved their bishop and a Check appeared in blue on the screen. Leah moved her Queen into the position she wanted. "Checkmate." A red 'Winner!' appeared on the screen and Leah shut the computer. "Alright. Now I'm ready."

* * *

><p>Suzaku sighed as he pulled off his tie and shoes. A maid came up and collected them for him as he walked towards the drawing room, where Jeremiah was standing at attention.<p>

"Leah in here?" The two giggles inside answered for the cyborg and the Knight knocked lightly.

"Come in," Nunally called. Suzaku poked his head in and Leah leapt up from her seat.

"Welcome back," she said with a little curtsey. She'd changed into a pale pair of jeans and a silvery shirt that hung off her shoulders and highlighted the silver sparks in her eyes.

"Welcome back Suzaku," Nunally greeted, turning and gesturing for the Knight to enter. Suzaku walked up to the couch Leah was seated on and plopped down beside her. She pushed her hair behind her ears and she and Nunally giggled again. Suzaku glanced to the side and smirked at the new diamond earrings Leah was now sporting on her ears.

"Looks nice," he said, tapping one with his finger. Nunally smiled. "Did it hurt?"

"For a second but I was just surprised. Actually, I think it was just nerves that made it hurt." Suzaku looked at the studs again, moving them from side to side to get a better look at the holes.

"There's some blood," he noted. Leah nodded.

"It bled a bit but Millay said its nothing to worry about. I just have to worry about ear infections and I can't take them out for a few months." Jeremiah poked his head in.

"Pardon me Empress, but there's a call for you from China." Nunally nodded and allowed Jeremiah to come and pull her away.

"I'll see you two later then, good night."

"Good night Nuna," Leah said with a wave. Nunally waved as Jeremiah shut the door. Leah stretched and yawned.

"Tired?"

"Just a bit," she admitted with a shrug. Suzaku looked up at the clock and smiled a little.

"Well, its past ten." Leah stood up and stretched again.

"Alright. Good night Suzaku," she yawned as she headed for the door.

"Leah." The girl looked back at him from the door. "I'm sorry I made you think I was upset with you today. Its just that Gino can be a real flirt and-"

"You want me to be careful, right?" The Knight nodded. "Its alright. I think anyone would have misunderstood the situation if they just walked in on it like you did." Suzaku smiled. "Good night."

"Good night," he replied quickly. He looked up at the clock again. "I have that video meeting in about half an hour with Xinke. Another long night, huh? No wonder Lelouch became so good at sleeping in class."

* * *

><p>Leah sighed to herself as Rivalz walked in, carrying a few empty boxes stacked on top of one another.<p>

"Need some help?" she asked as he wobbled a little.

"No, I got it. What you up to anyway?"

"That online chess stuff you showed me the other day." Rivalz set the boxes in a corner and walked over.

"How many opponents have you beaten?"

"Nearly fifty now," Leah said bored. "But after the tenth one, they all became predictable." Rivalz looked at the screen and his jaw dropped.

"Ranked in first place?!" he yelled.

"No need to scream in my ear," she said as she rubbed the abused appendage.

"Sorry. But how did you do it?"

"I just kept challenging the first place people until I took first. After that, all other opponents just kept challenging me. I've probably faced against the same people at least three times each," she said.

"How long's your longest game?"

"Ten minutes." Rivalz's jaw dropped again. "What?" Leah asked, catching the stare out of the corner of her eye.

"Your shortest?"

"About eight minutes, forty-five seconds," she said slower than before. "Rivalz, you're kinda freaking me out here."

"And you didn't lose?" Leah shook her head. The teen opened his mouth to speak again.

"Rivalz!" Millay called. He perked up like a puppy being called. "Can you bring down the red bows for the tree please?"

"Right on it!" he called back as he leapt to his new task, searching the labels on the boxes for the one he was looking for. Leah watched for a moment.

"Rivalz?" The teen hummed his acknowledgment. "Do like Millay in _that _way?" The blue-haired boy dropped the box he was holding.

"N-no…w-what in the world would make you think up a crazy idea like that?" He started chuckling to himself as he scratched the back of his head.

"Liar," Leah said dully as she returned to her match.

"I'm not lying!" Rivalz shouted as he turned around, his face burning red.

"You so are," she said.

"She's the granddaughter of the dean of the academy. I respect her is all," he defended. Leah nodded.

"Yea. And at the same time, you act like a love-sick puppy. You're in love with her, right? So why not just tell her how you feel?"

"I don't need to tell her how I feel because there's no feelings there! I just respect her!"

"You'll catch a cold if you stay in de Nile for too long," the ravenette joked as she turned to face Rivalz. She crossed her arms over her chest and crossed her legs. "Just tell her. If she says no, just ask if you can keep being friends and that things don't get awkward. If she says yes, no harm done, right? Millay's not one to beat around the bush and you shouldn't be either."

"Its easier said than done with the whole awkward part! I have a good friendship with her and for now, I'm okay with that. I hear she's got her eye on a guy and if I get in her way, she could hate me, alright?"

"Then just ask her to the dance, alright?"

"She and I are already partnered up. We don't have a choice but to go together."

"Then just ask for the first dance. I'm sure that will win you a few points with her." Rivalz sighed. "Do it today alright? Before some other guy comes along and swoops her away. Or worse." Rivalz stiffened at that part. "Look, just call her up and ask. I'll make sure you two have your privacy." The teen sighed again.

"Fine, I'll do it." Leah smiled, stood up and left the room. "Hey Millay! I can't find the box! Think you could give me a hand?!"

"Oh Rivalz!" Millay giggled as she made her way up the stairs. Leah smiled as she descended and Millay entered the room. "That's strange, I thought they were here with the other bows."

"Maybe they got mixed in with some other decorations."

"Good idea, lets start looking." Leah sat down on the last step and sighed.

"What's up?" Suzaku asked as he came in, brushing snow out of his hair and his cheeks and ears were pink from the cold.

"Nothing. What's up with you?"

"Just putting out some light-up reigndeer outside and was going to ask what to do next. Where's Millay?"

"Upstairs with Rivalz."

"Doing what?"

"Can't say." The Japanese teen raised an eyebrow.

"Rivalz!" Millay cried from upstairs.

"What was that?"

"Don't know," Leah said with a shrug. Suzaku walked up a few steps before Leah leapt up and got in his way.

"What are you doing?"

"Stopping you," she said plainly in a 'duh' tone.

"Really Millay, you gotta lighten up some. You're gonna smother me!" Rivalz yelled. Leah sent a death glare at the door.

"Really you two, stop yelling. Its not helping your situation." Suzaku made it up a few more steps before Leah blocked him again.

"Leah, you need to move now." She shook her head. Millay screamed in the room and a series of thumps began to sound in the hall. Leah smacked her forehead as Suzaku bolted up the last of the stairs.

"Suzaku!" The boy raised his hand to knock on the door when a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around until his back slammed against the wall. Leah set both hands on the boy's shoulders and pulled herself against him.

"Leah, what are you- Mmf!" The ravenette wrapped her arms around his neck, shut her eyes and pressed her lips to his. For a few seconds, he was stiff. His eyes slowly closed as his hands found their way around the girl.

Leah began to pull away a little. His arms tightened around her, bringing them into an open-mouthed kiss that quickly began a tongue war for who was in charge. Leah's fingers tangled themselves in Suzaku's curls and rubbed at the tinier hairs at the nape of his neck, the cold skin sending goosebumps up her arms. His hand slipped up her spine to cup the back of her head.

The door hissed open as Millay walked out with the box of red bows, a wide smile on her face and a light blush to her cheeks. Leah hummed a little, catching the girl's attention. She gasped at the sight, the blush becoming more relevant on her face as the two realized they'd been caught right in the act and pulled apart. Leah took a few steps back and wiped at the trail of saliva that had dropped onto her chin when they parted.

"Millay!" she cried, surprised.

"Don't mind me. I was just enjoying the show while it lasted," she breathed with a smile. Leah's face flushed bright red as she shifted her gaze from her shoes to the box in Millay's hands.

"Need some help with those?" Leah asked.

"Oh no. Gino and I can handle this. You two just...go back to whatever it was you were doing." Leah's face burnt red as Millay started down the stairs. Suzaku rubbed the back of his neck, skin still feeling warm where Leah had touched him.

"Umm..."

"I'm going to leave," Leah announced as she bolted down the steps and out the door before Suzaku could so much as say another word.

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><p>Leah rubbed her arms as the chill began to set in. The snow was falling softly around her. Her legs trembled from the cold and the running she'd just finished. Her cheeks were red from exhilaration, embarrassment and the chill.<p>

"Oh...Leah?" Nunally said as Jeremiah wheeled her up to the curb and the girl's car rolled into view. Leah smiled at the Empress and bowed her head. Nunally placed her hand on Leah's head and ran her fingers through the silken raven locks. "Do you want to leave? I know you aren't taking classes until after exams." Leah nodded. "Alright. I have a meeting in a little while but I can have the driver take you hope after." Leah smiled.

"Thank you Nunally," she said softly as Jeremiah opened the door and helped Nunally roll in. Leah stepped in after. Jeremiah shut the door and turned to enter the front passanger door when Suzaku ran up.

"Jeremiah!" The man stopped as Suzaku approached and bent over gasping for breath.

"Yes Sir Kururugi?"

"Is Leah here?" The cyborg nodded.

"She said she wanted to leave. The Empress saw no issue with it as Leah doesn't have classes until next year." Suzaku sighed.

"Good. Just wanted to make sure she wasn't getting into any trouble." Jeremiah narrowed his eyes at the teen. "What?"

"Just curious Sir Kururugi, but is it possible you and Miss Leah were involved in a little mouth-to-mouth?" Suzaku and Leah both flushed completely red. "Both your lips and hers are swollen somewhat. Although, I highly doubt she was drowning as I doubt you were as well."

"Oh shut up Jeremiah. I have classes." Suzaku turned and ran back to the school as Jeremiah got in the car and Leah pulled her jacket up over her face. Nunally smiled.

"Was he any good?" Leah burned crimson.

"Please don't Nuna," she said.

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><p><strong>Phoenix: Alrighty. One more chapter down. And we're only about tweleve days from Christmas in this story. Please review!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Phoenix: Yay! New chappie! So...reviews! From namelessnameguy, "o.o woah didnt see thar coming... also dar i didnt mean that leah and gino together i just meant gino might like leah but sozuko (i think i ruined that name) said he was a flirt. wait i could be wrong because tbh i cant remember what i had for lunch yesterday. also to bad we dont know each other my life is full of laughs." LOL. That is a shame. I could use lots of laughs in my life. **

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><p>Leah growled to herself as she reread the same paragraph she'd been reading for the past half an hour before she shut the book and set it on the floor next to her. The fire in the fireplace was cackling warmly a few feet away from her toes as they dangled off the arm of a chair. The ravenette let her head hang off the opposite arm.<p>

"Why did I do that?" she groaned, digging the heels of her palms into her eyes. After a moment her head twisted towards the large grand piano. She sighed and walked over, running her fingers over the keys before pushing down on one and wincing at the sound. "Sounds out of tune," she muttered as she peeked up at the strings and hit the note again.

She hit a few more, muffling out the sound of the door creaking open and someone walking over to her.

"Its been a long while since anyone played this old thing." Leah jumped and slipped off the side of the bench. "Are you alright?" She looked back up at the man. The blue eyes looked down at her kindly behind a fan of blonde hair and a white gloved hand was extended to her.

"Yes, thank you," she said, taking his hand and standing up. She dusted off her skirt quickly, suddenly very self-conscious of the fact that she was still in her Ashford uniform while the man was dressed in a grey suit.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to frighten you. I just came to find a book to read and I heard the piano. If you like, I could have one of the servants tune it so you may play." Leah nodded.

"Thank you sir. Oh. My name's Leah. Leah Lamperouge," she said quickly with a curtsey. The man chuckled warmly as he called for one of the servants.

"Its wonderful to meet you Leah. My name is Schneizel el Britannia, Prime Minister of Britannia, Second prince of the Holy Britannian Empire," he said with a bow.

"Wait…Britannia. Are you…"

"Empress Nunally's elder half-brother? Yes. And are you some new cousin on her mother's side she never knew of?" Leah shrugged.

"I don't know a thing about myself aside from being in a human trafficking ring for the past year. If it weren't for Zero…" Schneizel nodded as the servant bowed out and left.

"How do you know how to play the piano?" he asked as Leah sat back down. She shrugged again.

"I just do," she said as her fingers began to move over the ivory in a soft, slow melody. "I try not to focus on what I'm doing. I just push a key and my mind tells me the next one to push, the next thing I know, I'm playing." Schneizel nodded.

"Would you mind if I listened?"

"Not at all. Do what you like." Schneizel picked a book at random and sat down. For a few moments it was quiet aside from Leah's playing. Schneizel looked up from his book and closed it at the troubled look on Leah's face.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"I don't mean to intrude on anything that's not my business but you seem troubled." Leah's melody slowed a little.

"Just something I did at school. Nothing bad that would reflect poorly on Nunally or any of you, I promise…or maybe it would…I guess it depends on how you look at it…" The melody stopped and she sighed.

"If you want to explain the situation to me, perhaps I can help." Leah sighed and tapped a beat on the bench.

"Have you ever done something that seemed so harmless at the time but later you thought, 'Why did I do that?'" Schneizel nodded.

"Many times. When my father was banishing my brother and sister to Japan, when he invaded, Britannian treatment of the locals everywhere we conquered, even my brother's rise to Demon Emperor. Every time there was something I could have done so my sister didn't have to lose her only whole brother in the long run. And every time, it just seemed so insignificant. All because like everyone else in the empire, I blindly obeyed my father's madness about social Darwinism. But now I regret every chance where I did nothing or worsened the situation." Leah nodded. "Although, I have the feeling that is not what you were looking for."

"I don't know what I was looking for," she said quickly. Schneizel raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to explain. She drew her knees to her chin. "I kissed Suzaku Kururugi," she admitted. Schenizel's eyes widened a little before he started laughing. Leah glared at him, the tips of her ears and cheeks turning a bright pink as she glared at him.

"My apologies," he said before he cleared his throat. "I shouldn't have laughed. But my examples were a little too extreme for that kind of thing, my apologies." Leah shrugged. "May I ask why this happened?"

"I was trying to keep him from interrupting Rivalz and Millay while Rivalz was asking her to the Christmas dance."

"Well, given the situation and from knowing Sir Kururugi, I'd say that explaining the situation should clear all this up."

"How exactly do you know Suzaku, unless you only know him as Nunally's guard."

"He was once my subordinate in the army. In actuality, he's a very admirable young gentleman. He advanced through the army ranks faster than I've ever seen or heard of. Actually, one of my scientists went to school with him…Nina Einstein I believe." Leah stiffened.

"You know _her_?" she hissed out the last part. Schenizel nodded. "Did you have the FLEJA built?" He shook his head.

"Nina constructed that on her own."

"Do you know she was there the first night I remember?" She glanced over her shoulder at the man as he raised an eyebrow. "Or at least...someone who looked like her. Enough so that the memory appeared in my head. The person in question killed a girl in front of me then began throwing things at me and screaming. After that, its a year of being beaten by the human traffickers Zero saved me from."

"Do you remember anything about the room itself? What about the glass? How was it shaped?"

"The glass was from flasks. And I remember that the wall was a bit behind me, but there was something digging into my ankle at an angle. The floor and table were made of metal. Other than that, I don't remember too much. Aside from the traffickers."

"What you're describing sounds like a laboratory. And if that's the case, its possible you were involved in anything from cryogenic refrigeration to human cloning, both of which are illegal in Britannian or Japanese law. Have you been checked out by a medic for anything?" Leah shrugged.

"Miss Cécile said that there was some of my blood going through the system to try and figure out who I really am. But there's a bug or something in the system that won't give us the results until nearly Christmastime." Schneizel nodded and stood up.

"If you'll excuse me," he said with a bow before he left. Leah returned to playing the piano until a hand placed itself on her shoulder. She jumped with a yelp and spun around to face Suzaku.

"Easy!" he joked with raised hands. "Didn't mean to spook you, I thought you heard me come in." Leah relaxed a little.

"So um..."

"Rivalz explained everything to me at school. So I get it. I've been known for rushing head-first into things before, so I'm sorry." Leah smiled.

"Its fine. And you know what, we can just think of it as collecting the prize Millay offered for catching Arthur. How was school anyway?" Suzaku plopped down in a chair with a groan.

"Don't ask!" Leah couldn't help a giggle. "Thankfully, there's the weekend and then just one last week before Christmas break."

"That means the dance is only eight days away. When's Christmas?"

"Well...Next Friday is the twentieth, so five days after that. But please, I don't want to talk about next week. Keep on playing, you were sounding really good."

"Yes sir!" Leah joked with a salute before turning back to the piano and resuming her music.

* * *

><p>Millay sighed to herself as Leah walked in. The reporter had her face buried in her hands and an open box at her feet.<p>

"What is it Millay?" Millay shook her head and threw up her hands in frustration.

"Our dresses arrived."

"Is something wrong?" Millay held up a finger and started digging around in the box until she pulled out a pale peach gown she's ordered for herself, a red one for Anya and the little pink one Nunally had gotten. Violet eyes widened as Millay pulled out a silvery gown.

"Someone thought it would be funny to switch catalogue covers on us so we ended up ordering the wrong dress." Leah bit her lip at the gown. Its had thin straps and the skirt was shifted to the side so the left side was practically revealing all of Leah's left leg to her mid-thigh, slashing down her legs to the floor on the right side.

"Oh boy." Millay set the gown down and growled a little.

"When I find out who did this..." Leah walked over and picked up the gown, looked it over and held it against herself.

"Measurements seem alright. Color's descent. It covers everything. Its just not as innocent as we initially wanted. I think it'll be fine." Millay sighed.

"If you insist."

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><p><strong>Phoenix: Yay! All done! Next chapter is the dance! Who is excited?! If there's something you want to see happen, then let me know. Bye!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Phoenix: Here comes the dance! First, reviews! **

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><p>Suzaku sighed as he hung another string of Christmas lights on the outside of the student council building. His cell phone began to ring. He pulled it out and looked at the screen.<p>

_"Schneizel? What's he calling about…? Did something happen to Leah?!" _he thought as he answered. "Hello?"

_"Suzaku, I need to ask a favor. You know those traffickers arrested earlier this month?" _

"Yes, I'm aware they're in prison now. Is something the matter?"

_"I'd like it if you interrogated them. The sooner, the better. Try to find out who their leader is and the location of their headquarters. Whatever they say, I'd like to keep between us and a certain individual rescued at the time." _

"I understand."

_"Very well Suzaku." _The line clicked, signaling the end of the conversation. Suzaku quickly put the phone away and sighed again.

"Another sleepless night."

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><p>Suzaku sighed as he pulled on the door handle and opened the door to the interrogation room. A black-haired trafficker looked up at him.<p>

"Kururugi-sama," he breathed. Suzaku took a seat. The man bowed his head.

"According to witness testimony, all of your captives were born on Japanese soil but were Britannian by birth, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why those people? Only a couple had actual ties to the Britannian military so it wasn't soldiers' families you were after."

"That is correct, Kururugi-sama. That was part of our mission."

"What mission?"

"To liberate Japan, destroy the Britannian infestation and return what was lost to this nation."

"The United States of Japan-"

"I humbly beg your forgiveness, Kururugi-sama, but the United States of Japan is nothing more than a fancier way of saying Area 11. The Britannian infestation must be obliterated from the inside out."

"And who told you that?" Suzaku asked.

"The oyabun. He leads and commands us all. We all have our roles to play Kururugi-sama, even you."

"Me?" The man nodded as if excited.

"Yes sir. To take up your father's mantle as Prime Minister of Japan. Your people have voted and you have won, Kururugi-sama."

"And if I refuse the position? I don't recall running." Suzaku felt his nails dig into his palm at the idea of taking his father's place as Prime Minister of a dead nation. The man laughed as if he'd cracked an excellent joke. Suzaku's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Kururugi-sama, you wouldn't refuse the position. We know you. You hate the Britannian infestation as much as we do. After all, they're the reason your father committed suicide."

"You mentioned an oyabun before. Where does he command from? I'd like to talk with him."

"You and I both know where Kururugi-sama."

"No. I don't. That's why I'm asking."

"A place of frozen fire, standing 2198 men tall, scarred from the infestation but under you, it will return to its former glory."

"Stop speaking in riddles already!" he snapped. The man smiled.

"You're a wise man, Kururugi-sama. You'll figure it out." With that, the man slammed his head on the table and collapsed into a heap on the floor, held up by his hands being cuffed to the table. Froth appeared at his mouth as Suzaku raced over to his side. The teen cursed as the man went still.

The door crashed open and Gino stood in the doorway.

"You alright?" he asked as Suzaku stood up.

"Fine. Just fine. But I have the feeling all the other traffickers are dead?" Gino nodded solemnly.

"None of them seemed to expect it but they went without much of a fuss. Bet this guy had some kind of mechanism in his face that caused a trigger reaction for them all to die." Suzaku nodded in agreement. "So, you get anything?"

"Bunch of nonsense about bringing back Japan as it was and some 2000 men." Gino shrugged.

"Probably just crazy, the whole bunch of them."

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><p>Leah's eyes opened as she heard the door to Suzaku's room open and close. She looked over at her clock showing it was a little after two in the morning.<p>

The girl pushed herself out of bed and walked to the door between their rooms. She knocked tentatively and a moment later Suzaku opened the door.

"Leah? What're you still doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Can I come in?" she asked. He nodded and let her in. She took a seat on his bed and he sat across from her. "What had you out so late?" Suzaku chuckled a little.

"You sound a bit like a frustrated housewife." Leah flushed red.

"Shut up!" she yelled as she swung, landing a light punch on his arm. He chuckled again, louder this time. "So where were you?"

"Interrogating those traffickers."

"How did that go?" she asked.

"About as good as hearing about frozen fire, 2198 men, scars, infestations and mass suicide." Leah cocked an eyebrow. "Don't ask about the suicide. And the rest of it was a riddle."

"Do you know what it means?"

"It's a place where the leader of the Yakuza is hiding or at least he's near there. But no. I don't know what it means."

"Well…a man stands roughly at 175.8 centimeters tall…average at least." Suzaku cocked an eyebrow. "Some extra reading this afternoon." The knight nodded. "Divide that by a hundred, is 1.758 meters, multiply that by 2198 is…roughly 3863.4 meters...As for frozen fire…maybe a volcano?" Suzaku's eyes widened.

"A volcano…?" he breathed. "Leah! You're a genius!" he laughed as he gripped her arms and pulled her into a hug.

"Thanks?" she said with a shrug before she wrapped her arms around him. A warm feeling spread from her stomach through her entire body and she smiled as a few stray hairs of Suzaku's tickled her nose.

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><p>Leah blew impatiently at the hot, straightened hairs hanging in front of her face.<p>

"Stop it," Millay said in a warning tone as she waved the hot flatiron in front of the girl.

"It's hot," she complained.

"It'll cool in a second. Let it be now alright?" Leah hummed her acknowledgement and looked at herself in the mirror. Millay was flatironing her hair, adding a couple inches to the length. A pale pink blush dusted her cheeks and her eyelids were similarly done with pale lilac and silver. Her lips were painted pink and her long lashes black. A thin, glittery silver line traced the underside of her eye, highlighting the silver specs within the violet hues.

After a few minutes, Millay turned off the iron and smiled broadly.

"There you go. Perfection!" Leah smiled as she stood up.

"Thank you Millay," she said as she hugged the reporter.

"Don't mention it. So then, shall we let Suzaku and Rivalz escort us out?" Leah nodded and Millay moved to the door. The ravenette set her tiara on her head and brushed over her silver dress as Millay let the boys in.

Suzaku's eyes widened as he looked Leah over. The girl giggled a little and he snapped out of his daze, taking her hand in his and placing a kiss on the back of it. Rivalz offered his elbow to Millay and the two left the room.

"My lady, will you do me the honor?" Suzaku asked as he offered his own elbow. Leah gently wrapped her hands around it and he lead her out and down the stairs to the landing with the wall covered in twinkling lights. Nunally smiled from her chair and Kallen nodded. Anya tapped on the staircase railing, bored.

Couples were clustered at the foot of the stairs, waiting for the party to begin. Millay stepped forward with Rivalz and smiled at them all.

"Good evening everyone!" she called. "Welcome to the Royal Christmas Party. Now remember, here, you're all princes and princesses so make sure to act like it and just have fun!" The music began and couples broke onto the floor, twirling around the tree in a waltz. Gino picked Nunally up out of her chair and walked her down to the dancefloor where he began to dance for the both of them. Kallen and Anya joined their dates on the floor and Rivalz lead Millay down.

"Princess?" Suzaku said, turning to Leah.

"Yes, kind sir?"

"May I have the honor of the first dance?" he asked as he took her hand and bowed. Leah smiled.

"Yes you may," she said, her stomach turning into knots as the teen lead her down the stairs and began to spin her around on the dancefloor.

Leah found herself laughing and smiling and having an all-around good time as the night progressed. By the time eleven rolled around, at least a handful of couples had left. The music had become just a simple, soft song good for swaying to and Leah's eyes locked on a pair of brown ones belonging to a Japanese girl who was glaring at her. Both she and the boy were dressed entirely in white, which contrasted sharply with their black hair.

Leah watched as the boy took larger steps, moving closer to her and Suzaku. The ravenette's grip on Suzaku's shoulder tightened a little.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. Leah looked at him, a little surprised and then looked back to the advancing couple.

"No. But…I need to talk to you…privately." Suzaku nodded and walked her out the front door. The snow had been scraped off the stone steps and was a few inches deep on the lawn.

"Is this alright?" Leah looked back through the glass door as the girl talked to the boy. She nodded.

"I think so."

"So what is it?" Leah twisted her pinkie a little.

"How did the search go?" Suzaku cocked an eyebrow.

"There…was nothing really popping out in any dormant volcanoes within Brittannian influence. The Brittannian military is expanding the search and the Empress of China agreed to help us search. But…I get the feeling that's not what you're really trying to say." Leah glanced over her shoulder and saw the girl and boy leave via a door just a ways away from them. The girl looked over at Leah and glared darkly.

"That's…right…" she said. The ravenette moved closer to Suzaku and pulled him close as if about to kiss him. At the angle she saw the boy and girl from, it may actually look like that.

"Leah?!" The girl sent him a glare that silenced him.

"Do you notice the boy and girl over there?" she asked in a low whisper, casting her eyes towards the two in question. Suzaku's eyes shot over.

"Yea?"

"Either you have a fan who can't stand you being around me or its more trouble. What do we do?" Suzaku opened his mouth to answer as a click and the cold bite of steel caused Leah to gasp as the muzzle of a gun was pressed to her neck.

"Back away from him, now," the girl growled. Leah did as told and the boy moved between her and Suzaku, also armed with a gun. Both teens put their hands on their heads.

"What do you two want?" Suzaku asked, eyes flicking to Gino and Nunally inside. The blonde knight was laughing and hadn't even noticed Leah and Suzaku's absence.

"Your safety, Prime Minister," the boy said as he poked Leah's shoulder with his gun. "What do you think Haruka? I'm not sure how she'd look dancing on a pole but I'm quite sure oyabun could find a use for her. A pair of brown contacts and she may make a decent maid."

"Kohaku, you say too much," Haruka said in Japanese.

"I don't know what is going on here, but do not shoot at anyone, either of you. Am I clear?" Haruka blinked at Suzaku.

"Suzaku-" Kohaku put his gun to Leah's forehead.

"Do not attempt to be so informal with the Prime Minister, witch."

"Leave her alone," Suzaku growled. Kohaku looked her over and slowly pulled his gun down so the muzzle caught on the dress. He continued to pull until Leah grabbed his wrist just before he could reveal her undergarments.

"You little…worm!" she yelled as she twisted the teen's arm. He dropped the gun and it discharged. Inside, people began to scream to the sound. Haruka pushed Suzaku away from Leah and Kohaku as the ravenette jumped onto the stair railing and used it to hurl herself over the boy, dislocating his shoulder. The boy screamed before his head hit the concrete and he became silent. Leah bent down and picked up the gun the boy had dropped.

"Leah…" Suzaku breathed as the girl turned towards them. Her left eye glowed crimson and the bird sigil of Geass flapped its wings.

"Witch!" Haruka screamed as she took aim. Leah snarled and took a step forward, aiming her own gun at Suzaku.

"Shoot me, I shoot him," she warned in an icy voice. Suzaku took a step back as the bird's wings flapped again. "A rushing river…" Leah smirked wickedly as a wind picked up around her, whipping her hair and gown around. The snow melted away and the buildings collapsed. Screaming became the sound of rushing water as the forest in the distance vanished and Leah, Suzaku, and Haruka stood in the path of a surge of water.

Haruka screamed and fired her gun once at the wave before it crashed down towards them. Suzaku braced himself and shut his eyes and waited for the wave to hit. It never did. Suzaku opened his eyes and Haruka was on the ground, writhing and screaming as if she was trying to escape the water. Suzaku looked around and Ashford Academy still stood. Leah stared down at Haruka and around them was a red ring of Geass influence.

He stepped to the edge of it and looked up at Leah. The illusion she'd sent up had vanished so her clothes and hair were still, her eyes cold and she was smiling.

"Leah! Listen to me!" he yelled. The girl turned towards him but her stare did not change. "Its Suzaku. I want to help you."

"I can help myself," she said plainly as she turned back to Haruka who was now making noises akin to being strangled.

"This is not what you really want, is it?" he asked. Leah glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "I know its not because I know you, Leah. You're kind. You never want to hurt anyone. Whatever this is, you can control it. You have to before it destroys you! Do you understand me?"

"Is this enough? Is this safe?" she asked after a moment. Suzaku nodded.

"I promised you Leah. When you're with me, I will protect you. We're both safe. So you can stop now." Leah locked eyes with him and the ring of Geass influence vanished. Haruka gasped for air on the concrete as the bird vanished from Leah's eyes. The ravenette slumped forward and Suzaku wrapped his arms around her.

He smiled a little as he brushed her hair away from her face and she slept on.

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><p>Nunally trembled in Gino's arms as the teen huddled around her in the tiny store closet he'd sheltered them in at the sound of the gunshot. The teen Empress whimpered at the sound of the front door opening and people coming inside.<p>

"Your Majesty?!" Jeremiah called out. Gino opened the door.

"Over here!" he called. The royal guard rushed over and Nunally wrapped her arms around his neck as he picked her up.

"Are you harmed?" he asked. Nunally shook her head as she was placed in her wheelchair.

"But I don't know if anyone else is. And I couldn't find Suzaku or Leah in the commotion."

"If Suzaku's with her, Leah's fine Your Majesty," Gino assured.

"He's not the Knight of Zero for nothing," Jeremiah agreed. He didn't mention Suzaku's cell phone and Leah's tiara were being looked over for any clues as to where they were taken.

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><p>Leah groaned as she started coming around. Straw poked at her as she moved. Her head was resting on someone's leg. A hand was carding through her hair.<p>

"Suzaku?" she groaned lightly as she opened her eyes, only to be greeted with darkness.

"I'm not Suzaku," said a male voice. Leah looked up at the person she was resting on. "Give your eyes a moment to adjust. You won't be able to see as well as you could in clear light but at least its better than nothing," he said gently. The ravenette sat up slowly and her foot bumped into something warm and hard. A person groaned as they woke up.

"What the heck? What was that for?" a girl asked.

"Ugh, you two and your talking is what woke me up, thanks a lot," said another girl.

"Sorry dear," the man said. "Our newest arrival just bumped our friend a bit."

"Ah. So Sleeping Beauty's awake?" the first girl asked. Darkness was starting to take shape so Leah could see the girl flip her curly hair over her shoulder.

"Yea. Where are we?"

"Welcome to Yakuza headquarters," the man said. "We're in the place where undesirables are put until they become useful or they find a clean way of offing us but in the meantime, they can't afford to have us walking around so we get put here."

"I see."

"Actually, you can't because its too dark to see even your own hand in front of your face," the second girl said.

"Circe, darling, can't you act a little more mature?" the man asked. "I apologize for my wife. My name is Luke. And the other one is-"

"I can introduce myself," she snapped.

"Alright, then…"

"My name's Keiko. Keiko Kururugi."

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><p><strong>Phoenix: How was that? Please leave a review!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Phoenix: Merry Christmas everyone! New chapter! But first, reviews! First from DarTxeez, "Okay I thought it over. Leah x Gino for the win!"** **LOL. Next from Guest, "You have to finish this one I love it!" I will finish. The last update to this story will happen next year and then you all can look forward to the sequel!**

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><p>"Keiko? As in…Suzaku Kururugi's sister?"<p>

"How do you know my brother's name?" the girl asked.

"He's a friend," Leah said as she shivered against the cold stone wall and Luke wrapped an arm around her. His hand rested on the nape of her neck and goosebumps appeared on her skin.

"Is that better?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you Luke," she said. "But Suzaku told me you died in a car accident when you were five."

"I was kidnapped and brought here," Keiko explained, sounding a little choked. The girl moved to Leah's side and curled into her lap. "You really know my brother?"

"I was with him when the Yakuza showed up at our school dance." Keiko wrapped her arms around the girl and started sobbing.

"Th-They told me…m-my f-family was all dead…" she cried. Leah ran her hands through unseen, oily, curly hair. "Thank you. Thank you. Arigato. Thank you."

"What color are your eyes?" Leah asked.

"Hazel…like my mother's," Keiko whispered.

"And your hair?"

"Brown." Leah smiled and traced the girl's face with her fingers, the face coming into her mind's eye as she pushed curled bangs out of the girl's face.

"Its wonderful to meet you Keiko. Your brother will be so happy to see you." A door slammed open and light flooded in, blinding the group.

"The Prime Minister has no time for traitors," someone said.

"She's not a traitor. She's his sister," Leah defended, gripping Keiko's arm tightly. The girl squeezed Leah's waist.

"Doesn't matter. You're coming with me," the person said as they grabbed Leah's arm. She stood, bringing Keiko with her.

"She comes with me." The person scoffed and shoved the girls out the door. As Leah's eyes adjusted, the man shut the door to the dungeon and Keiko whimpered. Leah looked down. Keiko had skin pale as a newborn babe but was covered in dirt and filth. Her hair was darkened with oil and sweat and fell to her hips. She was dressed in a small pink kimono that could hardly be considered descent, tied around her middle with a blue belt.

Leah held the girl tighter to her as she looked around. Houses made of earth were making a perimeter of a circle. A large dome cage stood in the middle. Leah looked up at the packed-dirt ceiling and held Keiko a little tighter.

The man lead them towards one of the houses and Keiko whimpered as Leah gasped.

The contained a wall of glass pods. One was full of some kind of liquid and a young boy. He couldn't be older than sixteen with mouse brown hair and pale skin dressed in a black suit fitted to his person. His wrists and ankles were cuffed to the wall he was laying against inside the pod. A strap was bound tightly around his thigh and chest, measuring his pulse strength and heartbeat.

"Who in the-"

"A Britannian assassin by the name of Rolo. Posed as the younger brother of Lelouch Lamperouge/vi Britannia. Apparently a Geass user," another man said as he made himself known. Leah snapped around, hiding Keiko behind her.

"You," she growled. "You were the doctor here that night." The man smiled at the girls. He had dark hair cut at the shoulders and falling in a wild mane around his head. His thick-framed glasses were balanced on the tip of his crooked nose and his lab coat was covered in splatters of bloodstains.

"Yes my dear. I must admit, I never expected to see you again, not after you escaped me."

"Who am I? Who are you?" she growled. Keiko clung a little tighter to her.

"I am hardly of any importance to anyone you've come to know my dear."

"You're related to Nina Einstein, aren't you?" The man smirked.

"You know my daughter." Leah narrowed her eyes and the doctor laughed. "You gave me that same look before you ran away."

"Answer my other question, who am I? Where do I come from? Why don't I remember anything before that night?"

"Why indeed. Keiko dear, do you remember anything from before you existed?"

"You lie. That was a year ago! I'm a teenager!"

"Nineteen in biological years. But not even a year old chronologically my dear. I created you in this very room. You were the only success until you turned out like this." Leah looked at herself.

"Lelouch. You were trying to clone him."

"As brilliant as he was I see," the doctor chuckled gleefully.

"Why? Everyone hated the Demon Emperor."

"Perhaps the Yakuza needed to show the Japanese exactly why Britannia couldn't be trusted. They faked the death of the Demon Emperor. You were created from the blood and cerebral fluid of Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia. However your failed gender presented a problem. However, your Geass may very well be useful to me yet." Leah snarled.

"I don't know what-"

"How do you think you got away from the Yakuza twice? Or subdued Haruka? Or any of the other times you blacked out? Your Geass, my dear, is illusions during which you apparently become someone else, perhaps the Demon Emperor does live within you after all."

"No he doesn't. If you claim I am nothing more than a carbon copy, you're dead wrong. If my DNA comes from Lelouch vi Britannia, 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Emperor, then my name is Leah vi Britannia, Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire and the United States of Japan! I was born December fifth with my brother. I grew up in a tube while my brother and sister grew up far more free. And in my name, I order to release us, Luke, Circe, Suzaku Kururugi and Rolo, who I will take as my own younger brother!" The doctor laughed as he grabbed hold of a flask.

"You have no power here, _Princess. _All you have is the option to die!" The doctor broke off the end of the flask. Keiko leapt back as the man charged at the girls with the broken glass. Leah grabbed his wrist and burried the jagged glass in his stomach. Blood immediately began to soak into the man's clothes. He clutched at something over his chest as he fell to his knees. A rapid beeping began to fill the room.

"Leah!" Keiko yelled. Leah snapped around at Rolo who was struggling against his bonds. His heart rate was spiking in panic.

"What did you do?!" Leah screamed.

"It only takes a couple moments for a human to die after running out of oxygen. Good luck saving him..." the doctor fell face down onto the floor as Leah cursed under her breath. She pulled one of her diamond earrings from her ear and began scraping one of the many facets on the glass. A long pale scratch followed in its wake. She pulled out the other and handed it to Keiko. The girl understood and they began scratching away at the glass, creating a spiderweb pattern. Leah put her earring back in and took the other from Keiko after a couple seconds, grabbed hold of the doctor by the lapels of his coat and swung him against the glass.

The pod burst open and Leah dropped the man as she moved to the still boy inside.

"Rolo!" she yelled as she ripped off his breathing mask and checked his airways. The boy started coughing and his eyes cracked open. Leah smiled as she held his face in her hands.

"Big brother?" he choked out. Leah's smile became sad a little.

"No Rolo. I'm not Lelouch. I'm his clone, Leah." Rolo looked a little confused. "I'm going to get you out of here, okay?"

"Where's my brother?" Rolo asked as Leah pulled the straps off his chest and thigh.

"I'm sorry. He died some time ago. But he became Emperor while you were under. His sister, Nunally, now rules."

"But...Nunally died...In the FLEJA explosion." Leah shook her head as she and Keiko released Rolo's hands and moved to his feet.

"She's alive and well. Or as well as you can be when your brother died in your arms." The final bonds came undone and Rolo slid down the wall. Leah wrapped her arms around him and helped him back up. "Come on. We've got to get out of here and find Suzaku, Luke and Circe." Keiko nodded and headed up the stairs. "Keiko, no! Not yet." Leah looked to Rolo as she moved his arm over her shoulders.

"What can your Geass do?" she asked.

"I can stop someone's perception of time. But if I go longer than four seconds at a time or its a wide range, it takes a toll on my heart." Leah nodded.

"I think I have a plan."

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><p>Suzaku sighed as he glanced around the compound again.<p>

"Suzaku-sama?" asked a pretty raven-haired girl as she draped herself on his arm. Suzaku took a sip of the water in his hand, ignoring the Yakuza daughter. She began trailing mindless swirls into his chest. A commotion on the other side of the compound caught his attention as two guard began to drag over someone who was struggling against them.

Suzaku left the daughter and moved to another one of the dirt houses where the generals were all enjoying themselves with sake and humiliating Britannian girls. The soldiers threw the person onto their knees before the generals. The men grabbed the boy's mouse-brown hair and pulled it back so he looked up at the generals and Suzaku sucked in a breath as the name came to his mind.

_"Rolo." _The boy assassin smirked as one of the generals moved to look at him.

"What have we here?"

"He was found with the scientist sir. Its likely he killed him." The general raised a brow as the boy began to chuckle.

"And what, young man, may I ask, is so funny about this situation? You've been caught as a killer."

"Yet you've illegally cloned someone, kept multiple people here against their will and probably killed more times than I have. And my sister doesn't like it when people try to harm her family."

"Your sister?" Rolo cast a glance in Suzaku's direction. The teen felt something bump his arm and looked at the raven-haired girl who appeared at his side. Behind him were a handful dozen of kidnapped Britannians.

"Me," Leah growled, silver sparks shining in her eyes. The general turned towards her and reached for his katana only to find it was gone.

"Looking for this?" Rolo asked from his new place behind the general, in his hand was the katana. He tossed it into the air and a blur of brown flashed by before Keiko held the blade to the general's throat.

"Suzaku, tell them we'll be leaving now. I have the feeling you know the way out?" Leah asked. Suzaku nodded.

"Generals, thank you for your hospitality, but I have not nor have I ever wanted to take up my father's position as Prime Minister. These people and I will be leaving now. And if any of you follow us, I'll throw you in a jail cell myself," he said as the group began to back away. Keiko sheathed the blade and slid it into place on her belt as she chased after her brother and new friends.

"Prime Minister! Step away from them!" the other generals yelled as they unsheathed their katanas. Leah yanked Keiko behind her and Suzaku stepped in between the two groups. "Our apologies Prime Minister, but we cannot allow you to be dragged along like a dog by those Britannians."

"Fine then, shall we settle this in a means that is biased in either direction?" Leah asked as she stepped forward. "I challenge you to a trial by combat, an ancient Greek method of battle. The champion of each side is chosen to represent their people. That way, only one needs to shed blood. To make it fair I will represent the Britannians and Suzaku Kururugi will chose among you. If I win, all the people with me go free. Suzaku Kururugi then says who he wishes to go with. If you win, you can kill us all." The general smirked.

"Very well girl. Prime Minister-" Suzaku gave the man a harsh glare.

"You may fight on behalf of the Yakuza, general. But you must understand that no matter who wins, I will not let you kill anyone, nor will I let anyone be kept here against their wills." The general turned to Leah as if he hadn't heard a word Suzaku had said.

"You heard him girl. How shall we battle?"

"Hand-to-hand combat in the arena. Anyone from either our sides comes in to help us, we automatically lose. Understood?" The general nodded and the two made their way to the domed arena. Leah pulled off her dress, revealing the black bodysuit underneath very much like the one Rolo was wearing. She unrolled the sleeves so they came to her biceps and slipped out of her shoes and jewelry, handing them to Keiko for safekeeping.

"Will you really be alright?" the girl asked. Leah smiled and shrugged.

"If he plays by the rules, I have no idea. He's the smallest of them but he's still twice my size. But, you need to stay by Suzaku, alright?" Keiko nodded and Leah turned to Rolo. "Rolo, if anything happens, I need you to get everyone out of here. Go find Nunally or anyone who can help us and bring them back here." The boy nodded and Leah put a hand on his shoulder. "When you get out of here, with or without me, tell Nunally what we learned. Tell her Charles zi Britannia put you in Lelouch's memories as his younger brother and request her to take you in. I'm certain she will." Rolo nodded again and Leah crawled into the dome.

The general did the same, void of his katana and any other weapon on his person. Leah rolled her shoulders and scraped her bare feet against the floor of the arena. Yakuza men surrounded the dome, as did the Britannian captives. Keiko curled into her brother's side and he wrapped an arm around her.

"You alright?" Suzaku asked gently. She nodded. He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders gently. "Can you tell me your name?" She looked at him with her wide hazel eyes.

"Onii-sama," she breathed quietly as she pressed a hand to his cheek. The teen pulled the girl into his chest and held her tightly.

"Don't worry, Leah will be fine, Keiko." The Japanese girl turned toward the ravenette as the general charged. Leah jumped and used the man's shoulder to leap even higher away from him. Leah chuckled to herself as the general turned back to her.

"Keep that up, old man, and I'll win this contest without too much trouble," she jeered. The general charged and Leah jumped again. The general grabbed her leg and swung her down into the ground. Leah twisted in grip and landed a kick to his face. The man wiped at the blood as it began to stream down his face and grabbed Leah's arm as she twisted again. He swung and threw her against the bars of the dome. The Yakuza men on the other side cheered as Leah began to use the bars like a ladder and pulled herself away from the general's reach.

"What is it little girl? Realized you're outmatched?" Leah smirked and turned to face the man from her perch.

"Nope. Just catching my breath. That's a nice outfit by the way, your husband make it for you?" she jabbed before she launched herself from the dome. She rolled when she hit the ground and turned back just as the general was turning back to her. He charged and she rolled out of his way, tripping him with her ankle. The man tumbled in the dust and shook his head as he rested on his hands and knees, trying to regain his bearings. Leah leapt onto his back and wrapped her arms around his thick neck. The man rolled and Leah clung even tighter as he stood up. He slammed his back into the dome and Leah's grip loosened as she gasped for air. The general grabbed her by the back of her neck and swung her into the dirt in front of him.

She struggled under his meaty fingers to free herself until he puled her to her knees and forced her head down.

"Yield," he growled. Leah gasped for air, eyes flicking to the side at the stunned and terrified Britannians looking in on her. Her eyes wandered to Rolo, Keiko and Suzaku. The Japanese teen held fast to his sister and had a hand on Rolo's shoulder. The general lifted Leah to her feet and shook her again. "Yield," he barked. Leah stomped her foot.

"Ya know, sometimes a girl just has to do what a girl's going to do," she muttered.

"What was that?"

"And this is one of those times," she said before she grabbed the general's wrist and snapped around, using the man's hip to launch another foot into his face and herself onto his back. She gripped her arm around his neck even tighter than before and wrapped another arm behind his head to hold herself in place as her weight and momentum sent the man backwards. Leah let herself be taken to the ground as the man struggled to release himself. She waited until he stopped struggling before she released him. He turned over coughing and hacking for breath as Leah stood up. She planted a foot on his shoulder and pressed down, pushing back into the dirt. "I've won."

With that, Leah turned and pulled herself out of the dome. As if on cue, the Britannian captives were rushing to surround her, cheering their nation's name as Suzaku, Keiko and Rolo wrapped their arms around the girl.

"Are you alright?" Suzaku asked over the captives' cheering. Some began to race towards the rabbit holes in the far walls where freedom was only a short climb away. Leah nodded.

"I'll have some bruises but I should be fine," she said warmly as she put an arm around Rolo's shoulders. Suzaku did the same with his sister and the group left the Yakuza.

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><p>The early morning sun was starting to peek over the top of Mt. Fuji as Leah climbed out of the hole leading to the Yakuza encampment. Rolo was the last out right behind her. Leah shivered as a snowy blast of air came over them all. All the Britannians huddled together and Suzaku and Rolo began to lead them out of the dense woods. Keiko pulled Leah into the warm confines of her brother's jacket as the boys cleared as much snow out of their way as they could.<p>

It wasn't long before the boys found a small cabin used by hikers for breaks. Everyone crowded inside and managed to sit down before Suzaku put Leah and Rolo in charge.

"Where are you going?" Keiko asked.

"I'm going to try to find a ranger or someone who has a phone. If I find a highway or a payphone, I have some money in my pocket that I can use to call Jeremiah or Nunally and bring them back here. No one leaves unless absolutely necessary, understood?" Everyone nodded and Suzaku shut the door behind him. Leah looked around at the Britannians as they rubbed their cold feet and tried to huddle together for some extra warmth. Some were leaning against each other to sleep. Rolo scanned the group quickly before meeting his sister's eyes.

The ravenette shrugged a little as Keiko leaned against her and cuddled in for some extra warmth. The girl's stomach rumbled somewhat and she groaned. A few more similar grumbles erupted through the cabin and Leah sighed.

"Hopefully the rescue party brings some food," she muttered under her breath. Rolo moved closer to his sister and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You tired at all?" Leah shook her head, only to yawn a moment after. The boy moved and pulled Leah so her head rested on his leg. "Rest. I can keep watch," he assured. Leah smiled and let herself fall asleep.

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><p>When the ravenette's eyes opened she was wrapped in a thick, warm blanket and a different leg was under her head. She could feel the rumble of a car engine shake her as the interior of Nunally's private car filled her vision. Suzaku, Keiko, Rolo and Jeremiah were all looking at her with warm smiles. Leah smiled back and pushed herself up.<p>

Nunally sat next to her, smiling just as warmly.

"Has Suzaku told you anything yet?" Leah asked. Nunally shook her head. The ravenette wrapped her arms around the girl and squeezed her lightly. "Well, for starters, Rolo was Lelouch's sibling in his memories after the Black Rebellion so I figured..."

"I know," Nunally said. "And he's already been told he's going to be my brother too. What else?" Leah's smile became a little sad.

"I found out where I come from. I'm Lelouch's clone," she said very plainly. Nunally nodded and took Leah's hand in both of hers.

"If that's the case then you're my big sister, huh?" Leah nodded and Nunally smiled. "Well then, we'll have to inform the nation, won't we?" The two new sisters hugged again and giggled as they drew their brother in as well. Keiko cuddled into her brother's arms as he combed her hair with his fingers.

"We're free now, right Onii-sama?" she asked. The Knight of Zero was silent as he looked at the Imperial family. Keiko cuddled back into his chest. She knew the answer. The Yakuza weren't going to give up easily. This was a battle. They had yet to win the war.

"Merry Christmas, Your Majesties," Jeremiah said with a warm chuckle.

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><p><strong>Phoenix: How was that? Did anyone like it? Please review!<strong>


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